335 days so far this year…30 days remain in 2009
24 shopping days remain until Christmas
***Provocative Quote***
"To get ahead and stay ahead, use your head." ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
I got a call from Bob, my 76 yr. old friend in Denver. He had knee surgery a couple of weeks ago and is slow on the mend. At least that’s what he says. He says the doctors and physical therapists say is right on schedule. He is a 14Ker—climbed the peaks over 14K in Colorado, and is not the type to be inactive, or in this case, less active. I’m sure it is tough for him.
I had lunch today with our retirement group. We shared Thanksgiving stories and had a good lunch at Red Lobster.
Flagstaff is having one of its driest years in recorded history. The record was set in 1942 and right now we are over an inch lower than that record. How disturbing. While some moisture is expected during December, it probably won’t be enough to stop us from setting a new record. The entire ecosystem here is in trouble. Our Aspen trees are in trouble this year, our pinon trees have been in trouble for a couple of years, our ponderosa may be next. I sure hope this all ends soon. It has taken about 10 years for all this damage; it will take at least that long for our forest to recover. Right now, ten years of above average rainfall seems as impossible as ten years of below average rainfall.
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± Good News from Values.com
A man was walking in the park one day when he came upon a cocoon with a small opening. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It looked like it had gotten as far as it could, so the man decided to help the butterfly. He used his pocketknife and snipped the remaining bit of the cocoon.
The butterfly then emerged easily, but something was strange. The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected at any moment the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened. In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and deformed wings. It was never able to fly.
What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to emerge was natural. It was nature's way of forcing fluid from its body into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives.
If we were allowed to go through life without any obstacles, we would be crippled. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. And we could never fly.
± Unusual News
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The longtime U.S. supervisor of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line says her job is to soothe the nerves of harried Thanksgiving cooks. On Thanksgiving, at least, Marty Van Ness is everyone's mother as she dispenses sage (and savory) advice from Butterball's Talk-Line headquarters in Naperville, Ill., the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Wednesday. Van Ness has been on the Talk-Line for 18 years and says she has heard it all in that span. "The most distressed calls are when someone has mishandled the turkey," Van Ness told the newspaper. "They call because they think they have a safety issue, and they want me to tell them, 'You'll be fine.'" She says she tells callers who have made too a big mess of the Thanksgiving feast to salvage the meal that she sympathizes, and wishes them better luck for next year.
"People are relieved they have someone to talk to who will hear them, and not judge them," she told the Journal Sentinel. "I would never tell them they're stupid. Everyone makes mistakes."
± Random Fact
The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ December Month Long Observances
Birthstone: Blue Topaz…Flower of the Month: Narcissus
Colorectal Cancer Education and Awareness Month + Hi Neighbor Month + National Write A Business Plan Month + National Tie Month + Rising Star Month + Safe Toys and Gifts Month + Spiritual Literacy Month + Stress Free Family Holiday Month + Universal Human Rights Month + Read A New Book Month+ World Aids Month
§ Week of 1 December
Cookie Cutter Week ~ Tolerance Week ~ Recipe Greetings for The Holidays Week ~ Operation Santa Paws Week ~ Hand Washing Awareness Week
§ 1 December Observances
Bifocals at the Monitor Liberation Day—for those wearing bifocals at the computer screen
Day With(out) Art Day—since 1989 Museums close and workers volunteer at AIDS Outreach Programs
World Aids Day—since 1988
-Cape Verde : Restoration Day (1968)
-Central African Republic : Republic Day (1958)
-Iceland : Independence Day (1918)
-New Guinea: Independence Day (from Austrailia 1973)
-Portugal : Independence Day (from Spain 1640)
-Portuguese Guiana : Mocidade Day/Youth Day
-Romania : National Day since 1989
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1958 A fire at Our Lady of Angels School grade school in Chicago grade leaves 90 children dead due to poor fire prevention including no sprinklers and no fire drills
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
Marie Tussaud in 1761 French creator of wax sculptures
Rex Stout in 1886 mystery writer (Nero Wolf)
Mary Martin in 1913 actress (Peter Pan) Larry Hagman's mom
David Doyle in 1929 actor (John Bosley-Charlie's Angels)
Woody Allen [Allen Stuart Konigsberg] in 1935 Actor, Director
Lou Rawls in 1935 vocalist
Richard Pryor in 1940 Illinois, comedian/actor
Bette Midler in 1945 singer, dancer, comedy
Gilbert O'Sullivan in 1946 singer (Alone Again Naturally)
Richard Keith in 1950 actor (Little Ricky-I Love Lucy)
Charlene Tilton in 1958 actress: Dallas
~Athletics
Morris "Red" Badgro in 1902 NFL hall of famer (Yankees, Giants, Dodgers)
Lee [Buck] Trevino in 1939 PGA golfer
Pamela McGee in 1962 WNBA center/forward (Sacramento Monarchs)
Steve Walsh in 1966 NFL quarterback (Buccaneers, Bears, Saints)
Reggie Sanders in 1967 Florence SC, outfielder (Cincinnati Reds)
~Business / Education / Politics
Arthur B Spingarn in 1878 US NAACP-chairman (1940-65)
W A "Tony" Boyle in 1904 United Mine Workers president
~Science / Religion
Martin Rodbell in 1925, American scientist, Nobel laureate
~In Remembrance~
David Ben-Gurion founding father of Israel, @ 87
James Arthur Baldwin writer (Another Country), cancer @ 63
Lionel Stander actor (Max-Hart to Hart), @ 86
George Everest Welsh surveyor and namesake of Mt. Everest @ 76
Historical Events on this day
1641…Massachusetts becomes 1st colony to give statutory recognition to slavery
1804…Emperor Napoleon marries Joséphine
1835…Hans Christian Andersen published his 1st book of fairy tales
1878…1st White House telephone installed
1887…Sherlock Holmes 1st appears in print: "A Study In Scarlet"
1913…1st drive-up gasoline station opens (Pittsburgh)
1917…Boys Town founded by Father Edward Flanagan
1919…Lady Nancy Astor sworn-in as 1st female member of British Parliament
1929…Game of BINGO invented by Edwin S Lowe
1934…Josef Stalin begins a purge of real and perceived enemies 1942…Nationwide gasoline rationing goes into effect with most drivers receiving coupons for 3 gallons per week
1955…Rosa Parks sets off a bus boycott in Montgomery, Georgia when she refuses to give up her seat in the “colored” section of a bus.
1959…12 nations sign a treaty for scientific peaceful use of Antarctica
1969…US government holds its 1st draft lottery since WWII
1982…Michael Jackson releases "Thriller"
1990…Construction workers drill through the final wall of rock to join the two halves of the Channel Tunnel and link Britain to France
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ Diner Slang
What are the following Diner orders?
1. Paint it red
2. Java, Joe or a cup of mud
3. A blonde with sand
4. Shake one in the hay
5. Cackle fruit
6. Wreck 'em
7. Adam & Eve on a raft
8. On the hoof
9. Bloodhound in the Hay
10. Whistleberries
11. Frog sticks
12. Paint a bow-wow red
13. Irish turkey
14. Zeppelins in a fog
15. Burn one
16. Pin a rose on it
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ANSWERS
1. Paint it red: Put ketchup on an item
2. Java, Joe or a cup of mud: Coffee
3. A blonde with sand: Coffee with cream and sugar
4. Shake one in the hay: Strawberry milkshake
5. Cackle fruit: Eggs
6. Wreck 'em: Scrambled eggs
7. Adam & Eve on a raft: Two poached eggs on toast
8. On the hoof: Any kind of meat cooked rare
9. Bloodhound in the Hay: Hot dog and Sauerkraut
10. Whistleberries: Baked beans
11. Frog sticks: French fries
12. Paint a bow-wow red: Gimme a hot dog with ketchup
13. Irish turkey Corned beef and cabbage
14. Zeppelins in a fog Sausages and mashed potatoes
15. Burn one Put a hamburger on the grill
16. Pin a rose on it Add onion to an order
Monday
334 days so far this year…31 days remain in 2009
25 shopping days remain until Christmas
***Provocative Quote***
"To get ahead and stay ahead, use your head." ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
OMG, I went to bed with snow just starting to stick to the ground. Got up this morning, and it was still there. What a great site. The huge Ponderosa just outside second floor my bedroom had snow on every branch. The bird feeders also had snow on them. We only got about an inch that stuck here, but it was enough to set the mood. The day stayed fairly cool—only got to 35°--and that was enough to melt the snow on the sidewalk and street, but left some still on the ground. We may get a little more snow tonight. I’m sure the ‘big one’ is waiting until I’m ready to head for Chicago. I do enjoy the snow, and did throw a few wet snowballs today—at trees. I tried to start some snowball fights with my Facebook friends, but alas, they didn’t throw any back.
I worked on a couple of movies of my trip to Africa. I still haven’t gotten a real theme. We did so much, saw so much, and had such a variety of experiences; it is hard to compile them. I did get some good hippo videos—both in the water and out of the water. We were always in a boat when we saw them, and I was reminded how hard they are to see when they are under water. I’m glad our small boats had a good operator or I might not be writing this. When the hippo heads stick up, you still don’t see their bodies right away. We saw some out of water which is very unusual during daylight. Their thick skin is very sensitive and burns easily. So they usually stay in the water during daylight and eat their grass at night. We saw one group about 9 in the morning, another group about 4 in the afternoon. They are such a fascinating animal. An adult weighs between 1.5 and 3.5 tons. They can outrun man. This ‘river horse’ is one of the most aggressive animals on earth and considered the most ferocious in Africa. It is also the third largest land animal—just behind the elephant and rhino. Strange it isn’t one of the Big 5 or that Africa advertizes the Big 6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
± Good New from Values.com
A Devon, PA girl determined to make a difference in the fight against cancer after losing her grandfather has received a prestigious award for her efforts.
Fourteen-year-old Carly Houlahan and her sister Molly turned to bees to raise money for cancer research. And that's how "Hives for Lives" was born:
"We have been bee keepers since we were about 5 and 7. My grandmother taught us all we know. Basically we were sitting around and they told us they had extra honey. Molly suggested we sell it for charity and I said ‘How about cancer?’"
So the girls went door to door selling the honey. Their effort grew the following year with a 1,000 pound donation of honey. They formed their own company and to date have raised $150,000. They have local "helper bees” who help supply honey all over the country:
"Kids really can do anything. It sounds a little cheesy but they really can!"
She received a $3,000 college scholarship in Guardian's 2009 "Going Places" Entrepreneurship Award
± Unusual News
MADISON, Wis. - A Wisconsin man created the world's tallest gingerbread man, standing 26 feet tall, as part of a cookie decorating event at a mall. Mary Beth Collins, the executive director of Dane County Court Appointed Special Advocates, said Dave Bowden of Market Street Diner created the gingerbread man as part of the "Gingerbread Cookie Factory" fundraiser at the Hilldale Mall in Madison, WISC-TV, Madison, reported. "This was a goal he had," Collins said. "To create the world's tallest gingerbread man. So Dane County CASA approached him to see if he would do it, and he agreed, and here we are today." The cookie factory, which will be open the first three Saturdays in December, will allow children to decorate their own gingerbread cookies to raise funds for CASA, which advocates for children in abusive situations.
± Random Fact
The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
§ Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
§ 26 NOV Observances
Stay At Home Because You Are Well Day
Computer Security Day
Cyber-Monday for internet shoppers
National Meth Awareness Day
-Barbados : Independence Day from Britain (1966)
-Benin, West Africa : National Day (1975)
-Philippines : Bonifacio Day/Heroes' Day (1863)
-Yemen PDR : Independence Day From Britain (1967)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 2004…Ken Jennings after a run of 75 appearances is finally beaten on the TV quiz show Jeopardy!, walking away with the largest game show prize in TV history winning over 2.5 million dollars.
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
Samuel Clemens [Mark Twain] in 1835 author
Robert Guillaume in 1927 actor (Benson, Soap)
Billy Idol [William Broad] in 1955 rocker (White Wedding)
Mandy Patinkin in 1952 actor/singer
Paul Stookey in 1937 singer (Peter, Paul & Mary 1950
Jonathan Swift in 1667 satirist (Gulliver's Travels)
Efrem Zimbalist Jr in 1923 actor (77 Sunset Strip)
~Athletics
Bo (Vincent Edward) Jackson in 1962 baseball/football player (Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Raiders)
Bill Walsh in 1931 Pro Football Hall of Famer
Paul Westphal in 1950 NBA guard (Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns)
~Business / Education / Politics
Shirley Chisholm (D-Rep-NY) in 1924 1st black congresswoman
Sir Winston Churchill in 1874 British PM
Abbie Hoffman in 1936 Yippie/activist/author
G Gordon Liddy in 1930 Watergate felon, radio talk-show host
Oliver Fisher Winchester in 1810 rifle maker (Winchester)
~Science / Religion
Henry Taube in 1915 chemist (Nobel 1983)
In Remembrance~
Cleopatra Egyptian queen commits suicide @ 39
Oscar Wilde Irish author meningitis @ 46
Zeppo (Herbert Manfred) Marx @ 78
Norman Cousins editor (Saturday Review), @ 75
Tiny Tim (Herbert Khaury) singer with the falsetto warble and ukulele ("Tiptoe Through the Tulips" heart attack @ 64
Evel Knieval daredevil @ 69
Historical Events on this day
1782…Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence
1803…Spain cedes her claims to Louisiana Territory to France
1804…Impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase begins
1886…1st commercially successful AC electric power plant opens, Buffalo
1940 …Lucille Ball and Cuban musician Desi Arnaz were married.
1979…Ted Koppel becomes anchor of nightly news on Iranian Hostages (ABC)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ Whitewash
Complete the following words or expressions featuring the color 'white'.
1. Emblem of the House of York
2. A dense blizzard
3. Drain a person or country of wealth
4. Cover up a misdemeanor
5. A worker in tin
6. Kahlua, Vodka and Light Cream or Milk ian
7. Chicago baseball team
8. Phone book with residential listings
9. Broadway
10. Carcharodon carcharias
11. Pinot Chardonnay
12. A wave blown by the wind so its crest is broken
13. The edible young of herrings and sprats and smelts
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ANSWERS
1. Emblem of the House of York: white rose
2. A dense blizzard: whiteout
3. Drain a person or country of wealth: bleed white
4. Cover up a misdemeanor: whitewash
5. A worker in tin: whitesmith
6. Kahlua, Vodka and Light Cream or Milk: White Russian
7. Chicago baseball team: White Sox
8. Phone book with residential listings: White Pages
9. Broadway: the Great White Way
10. Carcharodon carcharias: Great White Shark
11. Pinot Chardonnay: white wine
12. A wave blown by the wind so its crest is broken: whitecap
13. The edible young of herrings and sprats and smelts: whitebait
25 shopping days remain until Christmas
***Provocative Quote***
"To get ahead and stay ahead, use your head." ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
OMG, I went to bed with snow just starting to stick to the ground. Got up this morning, and it was still there. What a great site. The huge Ponderosa just outside second floor my bedroom had snow on every branch. The bird feeders also had snow on them. We only got about an inch that stuck here, but it was enough to set the mood. The day stayed fairly cool—only got to 35°--and that was enough to melt the snow on the sidewalk and street, but left some still on the ground. We may get a little more snow tonight. I’m sure the ‘big one’ is waiting until I’m ready to head for Chicago. I do enjoy the snow, and did throw a few wet snowballs today—at trees. I tried to start some snowball fights with my Facebook friends, but alas, they didn’t throw any back.
I worked on a couple of movies of my trip to Africa. I still haven’t gotten a real theme. We did so much, saw so much, and had such a variety of experiences; it is hard to compile them. I did get some good hippo videos—both in the water and out of the water. We were always in a boat when we saw them, and I was reminded how hard they are to see when they are under water. I’m glad our small boats had a good operator or I might not be writing this. When the hippo heads stick up, you still don’t see their bodies right away. We saw some out of water which is very unusual during daylight. Their thick skin is very sensitive and burns easily. So they usually stay in the water during daylight and eat their grass at night. We saw one group about 9 in the morning, another group about 4 in the afternoon. They are such a fascinating animal. An adult weighs between 1.5 and 3.5 tons. They can outrun man. This ‘river horse’ is one of the most aggressive animals on earth and considered the most ferocious in Africa. It is also the third largest land animal—just behind the elephant and rhino. Strange it isn’t one of the Big 5 or that Africa advertizes the Big 6.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
± Good New from Values.com
A Devon, PA girl determined to make a difference in the fight against cancer after losing her grandfather has received a prestigious award for her efforts.
Fourteen-year-old Carly Houlahan and her sister Molly turned to bees to raise money for cancer research. And that's how "Hives for Lives" was born:
"We have been bee keepers since we were about 5 and 7. My grandmother taught us all we know. Basically we were sitting around and they told us they had extra honey. Molly suggested we sell it for charity and I said ‘How about cancer?’"
So the girls went door to door selling the honey. Their effort grew the following year with a 1,000 pound donation of honey. They formed their own company and to date have raised $150,000. They have local "helper bees” who help supply honey all over the country:
"Kids really can do anything. It sounds a little cheesy but they really can!"
She received a $3,000 college scholarship in Guardian's 2009 "Going Places" Entrepreneurship Award
± Unusual News
MADISON, Wis. - A Wisconsin man created the world's tallest gingerbread man, standing 26 feet tall, as part of a cookie decorating event at a mall. Mary Beth Collins, the executive director of Dane County Court Appointed Special Advocates, said Dave Bowden of Market Street Diner created the gingerbread man as part of the "Gingerbread Cookie Factory" fundraiser at the Hilldale Mall in Madison, WISC-TV, Madison, reported. "This was a goal he had," Collins said. "To create the world's tallest gingerbread man. So Dane County CASA approached him to see if he would do it, and he agreed, and here we are today." The cookie factory, which will be open the first three Saturdays in December, will allow children to decorate their own gingerbread cookies to raise funds for CASA, which advocates for children in abusive situations.
± Random Fact
The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
§ Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
§ 26 NOV Observances
Stay At Home Because You Are Well Day
Computer Security Day
Cyber-Monday for internet shoppers
National Meth Awareness Day
-Barbados : Independence Day from Britain (1966)
-Benin, West Africa : National Day (1975)
-Philippines : Bonifacio Day/Heroes' Day (1863)
-Yemen PDR : Independence Day From Britain (1967)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 2004…Ken Jennings after a run of 75 appearances is finally beaten on the TV quiz show Jeopardy!, walking away with the largest game show prize in TV history winning over 2.5 million dollars.
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
Samuel Clemens [Mark Twain] in 1835 author
Robert Guillaume in 1927 actor (Benson, Soap)
Billy Idol [William Broad] in 1955 rocker (White Wedding)
Mandy Patinkin in 1952 actor/singer
Paul Stookey in 1937 singer (Peter, Paul & Mary 1950
Jonathan Swift in 1667 satirist (Gulliver's Travels)
Efrem Zimbalist Jr in 1923 actor (77 Sunset Strip)
~Athletics
Bo (Vincent Edward) Jackson in 1962 baseball/football player (Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Raiders)
Bill Walsh in 1931 Pro Football Hall of Famer
Paul Westphal in 1950 NBA guard (Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns)
~Business / Education / Politics
Shirley Chisholm (D-Rep-NY) in 1924 1st black congresswoman
Sir Winston Churchill in 1874 British PM
Abbie Hoffman in 1936 Yippie/activist/author
G Gordon Liddy in 1930 Watergate felon, radio talk-show host
Oliver Fisher Winchester in 1810 rifle maker (Winchester)
~Science / Religion
Henry Taube in 1915 chemist (Nobel 1983)
In Remembrance~
Cleopatra Egyptian queen commits suicide @ 39
Oscar Wilde Irish author meningitis @ 46
Zeppo (Herbert Manfred) Marx @ 78
Norman Cousins editor (Saturday Review), @ 75
Tiny Tim (Herbert Khaury) singer with the falsetto warble and ukulele ("Tiptoe Through the Tulips" heart attack @ 64
Evel Knieval daredevil @ 69
Historical Events on this day
1782…Britain signs agreement recognizing US independence
1803…Spain cedes her claims to Louisiana Territory to France
1804…Impeachment trial of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase begins
1886…1st commercially successful AC electric power plant opens, Buffalo
1940 …Lucille Ball and Cuban musician Desi Arnaz were married.
1979…Ted Koppel becomes anchor of nightly news on Iranian Hostages (ABC)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ Whitewash
Complete the following words or expressions featuring the color 'white'.
1. Emblem of the House of York
2. A dense blizzard
3. Drain a person or country of wealth
4. Cover up a misdemeanor
5. A worker in tin
6. Kahlua, Vodka and Light Cream or Milk ian
7. Chicago baseball team
8. Phone book with residential listings
9. Broadway
10. Carcharodon carcharias
11. Pinot Chardonnay
12. A wave blown by the wind so its crest is broken
13. The edible young of herrings and sprats and smelts
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ANSWERS
1. Emblem of the House of York: white rose
2. A dense blizzard: whiteout
3. Drain a person or country of wealth: bleed white
4. Cover up a misdemeanor: whitewash
5. A worker in tin: whitesmith
6. Kahlua, Vodka and Light Cream or Milk: White Russian
7. Chicago baseball team: White Sox
8. Phone book with residential listings: White Pages
9. Broadway: the Great White Way
10. Carcharodon carcharias: Great White Shark
11. Pinot Chardonnay: white wine
12. A wave blown by the wind so its crest is broken: whitecap
13. The edible young of herrings and sprats and smelts: whitebait
Sunday
333 days so far this year…32 days remain in 2009
***Provocative Quote***
“Keep your nose away from other people's grindstones.” ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
The holiday weekend is just slipping by. We have been told to prepare for a small winter storm. It isn’t here yet and I guess I’m ready. An inch or two of snow will certainly put me in the holiday mood. It isn’t here yet, and the way the weather people are in our little community, it may not even happen. It did get up to 44° today, there was some wind, some clouds, and it looked like it might snow, but alas, not yet.
I’m healing quite well from my minor surgery. I keep it covered and keep it moist with Vaseline. It is starting to look a lot better. The bandage still has a small stain, but nothing like the first day. Guess I’ll be ready to lose the stitches on Wednesday. Actually I am ready to lose the little buggers right now, but I guess my nose needs a few more days.
I worked on some of my African video today. I have a cute movie of elephants that lasts way too long. All together it’s about ten minutes. Elephants are so amazing. They are huge. They are so family-oriented. They love the water, and they like playing. We were so lucky to have seen a huge herd of them walking to and then playing in the water. I also had video of smaller parades of elephants. I didn’t do any video while riding the elephant, but got some nice still shots. I still haven’t figured out how to combine still shots and video yet. That’s my next task.
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± Good New from Values.com
Forest Park resident Betty Pritchard understands the concept of “special needs.” When her great grand-nephew, Owen Gilliam, was born with hydrocephalus almost two years ago, it was essential that his body temperature remain stable. To achieve this, his head needed to stay warm. But because his head was enlarged, ready-made baby hats were too small.
Owen’s mother, Sara, and her mother began making hats for him from soft, stretchy cotton fabric, and quickly realized that other babies with hydrocephalus had “special needs” too. They started a web site, and soon had a network of volunteers to help sew the hats.
Pritchard, a member of Forest Park Women’s Club, got club members involved in the charity, which now sends hats to hospitals all over the country. This compassionate effort is one of several community service projects the club has undertaken.
“We’ve been making hats for about 18 months now, and have made over 100,” Pritchard said. “We send them to my niece (Sara’s mother) in New Harmony, Indiana, and she distributes them.”
Pritchard said that hydrocephalus occurs in approximately one out of 500 births.
The G.O. Hats organization (named for Owen Gilliam) is based in the Gilliams’ home town of St. Louis, Missouri. It is growing steadily – which is also true of Owen, who is happily overcoming the obstacles his condition presents.
± Unusual News
NEW YORK - A New York pub owner said his Thanksgiving turkeys are soaked in vodka, covered in vodka gravy and prepared with reservoirs for vodka shots. Paul Hurley, owner of O'Casey's Tavern, said the booze turkey, which is injected with 100-proof Georgi vodka before cooking, was inspired by his mother 15 years ago in Ireland, the New York Post reported Monday. "On Christmas, my mom said, 'Why not try some vodka in the turkey?'" Hurley said. Paul Loftus, a chef at the restaurant, said a lot of the alcohol from the vodka evaporates in the oven, so extra vodka is added to the gravy. He said the turkey is also served with a reservoir filled with a fruit-flavored vodka shot and a straw. Hurley said the $29.95 meal comes with a taxi cab ride to anywhere in New York's Manhattan borough.
± Random Fact
Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce Fabric Softener to prevent dust from resettling.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
§ Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
§ 26 NOV Observances
Square Dance Day
Electronic Greetings Day
Internat’l Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People since 1978
-Albania: Liberation Day (Dita e Çlirimit)
-Israel: Kaftet be-November (commemoration of the U.N. decision in 1947 to partition Palestine)
-Liberia: President Tubman’s birthday—Father of Modern Liberia
-Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: Republic Day (1945-1990 when Yugoslavia disbanded)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1956 as a result of the Suez crisis, petrol rationing is to be introduced in Britain for four months, and will be controlled through books of coupons.
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
Louisa May Alcott in 1832 author (Little Women)
CS(Clive Staples) Lewis in 1898 writer/scholar (Chronicles of Narnia)
Howie Mandel in 1955 comedian & game show host
Chuck Mangione in 1940 jazz composer/horn blower
Garry Shandling in 1949 comedian
~Athletics
Suzy Chaffee in 1946 US, skier/chapstick user (Olympics-1968)
Don January in 1929 pro golfer
Dick (Richard John) McAuliffe in 1939 baseball: Detroit Tigers
Vin Scully in 1927 sportscaster (NBC Baseball & Dodgers)
~Business / Education / Politics
Frank Reynolds in 1923 news anchor (ABC Evening News)
John Harvard in 1607clergyman, scholar: Harvard College named for him
Jacques Chirac in 1932 President of France
~Science / Religion
Christian Doppler in 1803discovered Doppler Effect (color shift)
Dr David Reuben in 1933 writer (Everything You Wanted to Know about Sex)
In Remembrance~
Ralph Bellamy actor, @ 87
Cary Grant actor @ 82
George Harrison English singer, guitarist, songwriter, and Beatle cancer @ 58
Giacomo Puccini Italian composer cancer @ 66
Howard Pyle (Gov-R-AZ, 1951-55), @ 81
Natalie Wood actress drowns @ 43
Historical Events on this day
1825…1st Italian opera, Barber of Seville, produced in US (NYC)
1890…1st Army-Navy football game, Score: Navy 24, Army 0 at West Point
1944…John Hopkins hospital performs 1st open heart surgery
1963…The Warren Commission led by the Chief Justice of the United States Earl Warren established
1994…The city of Seoul celebrated its 600th anniversary as the capital of Korea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ Whitewash
Complete the following words or expressions featuring the color 'white'.
1. A government report
2. A minor untruth
3. A leukocyte
4. Residence of the Presidents
5. Milk thickened with a butter and flour roux
6. A symbol of cowardice
7. A valuable which is expensive to keep
8. A piece of cloth waved in surrender
9. Caucasian
10. A northern cetacean
11. A sale of household linen
12. A kayaker's paradise
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ANSWERS
1. A government report: white paper or white book
2. A minor untruth: white lie
3. A leukocyte: white blood cell
4. Residence of the Presidents: White House
5. Milk thickened with a butter and flour roux: white sauce
6. A symbol of cowardice: white feather
7. A valuable which is expensive to keep: white elephant
8. A piece of cloth waved in surrender: white flag
9. Caucasian: white man
10. A northern cetacean: white whale
11. A sale of household linen: white sale
12. A kayaker's paradise: whitewater
***Provocative Quote***
“Keep your nose away from other people's grindstones.” ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
The holiday weekend is just slipping by. We have been told to prepare for a small winter storm. It isn’t here yet and I guess I’m ready. An inch or two of snow will certainly put me in the holiday mood. It isn’t here yet, and the way the weather people are in our little community, it may not even happen. It did get up to 44° today, there was some wind, some clouds, and it looked like it might snow, but alas, not yet.
I’m healing quite well from my minor surgery. I keep it covered and keep it moist with Vaseline. It is starting to look a lot better. The bandage still has a small stain, but nothing like the first day. Guess I’ll be ready to lose the stitches on Wednesday. Actually I am ready to lose the little buggers right now, but I guess my nose needs a few more days.
I worked on some of my African video today. I have a cute movie of elephants that lasts way too long. All together it’s about ten minutes. Elephants are so amazing. They are huge. They are so family-oriented. They love the water, and they like playing. We were so lucky to have seen a huge herd of them walking to and then playing in the water. I also had video of smaller parades of elephants. I didn’t do any video while riding the elephant, but got some nice still shots. I still haven’t figured out how to combine still shots and video yet. That’s my next task.
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± Good New from Values.com
Forest Park resident Betty Pritchard understands the concept of “special needs.” When her great grand-nephew, Owen Gilliam, was born with hydrocephalus almost two years ago, it was essential that his body temperature remain stable. To achieve this, his head needed to stay warm. But because his head was enlarged, ready-made baby hats were too small.
Owen’s mother, Sara, and her mother began making hats for him from soft, stretchy cotton fabric, and quickly realized that other babies with hydrocephalus had “special needs” too. They started a web site, and soon had a network of volunteers to help sew the hats.
Pritchard, a member of Forest Park Women’s Club, got club members involved in the charity, which now sends hats to hospitals all over the country. This compassionate effort is one of several community service projects the club has undertaken.
“We’ve been making hats for about 18 months now, and have made over 100,” Pritchard said. “We send them to my niece (Sara’s mother) in New Harmony, Indiana, and she distributes them.”
Pritchard said that hydrocephalus occurs in approximately one out of 500 births.
The G.O. Hats organization (named for Owen Gilliam) is based in the Gilliams’ home town of St. Louis, Missouri. It is growing steadily – which is also true of Owen, who is happily overcoming the obstacles his condition presents.
± Unusual News
NEW YORK - A New York pub owner said his Thanksgiving turkeys are soaked in vodka, covered in vodka gravy and prepared with reservoirs for vodka shots. Paul Hurley, owner of O'Casey's Tavern, said the booze turkey, which is injected with 100-proof Georgi vodka before cooking, was inspired by his mother 15 years ago in Ireland, the New York Post reported Monday. "On Christmas, my mom said, 'Why not try some vodka in the turkey?'" Hurley said. Paul Loftus, a chef at the restaurant, said a lot of the alcohol from the vodka evaporates in the oven, so extra vodka is added to the gravy. He said the turkey is also served with a reservoir filled with a fruit-flavored vodka shot and a straw. Hurley said the $29.95 meal comes with a taxi cab ride to anywhere in New York's Manhattan borough.
± Random Fact
Wipe the blinds with a sheet of Bounce Fabric Softener to prevent dust from resettling.
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§ November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
§ Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
§ 26 NOV Observances
Square Dance Day
Electronic Greetings Day
Internat’l Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People since 1978
-Albania: Liberation Day (Dita e Çlirimit)
-Israel: Kaftet be-November (commemoration of the U.N. decision in 1947 to partition Palestine)
-Liberia: President Tubman’s birthday—Father of Modern Liberia
-Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: Republic Day (1945-1990 when Yugoslavia disbanded)
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~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1956 as a result of the Suez crisis, petrol rationing is to be introduced in Britain for four months, and will be controlled through books of coupons.
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
Louisa May Alcott in 1832 author (Little Women)
CS(Clive Staples) Lewis in 1898 writer/scholar (Chronicles of Narnia)
Howie Mandel in 1955 comedian & game show host
Chuck Mangione in 1940 jazz composer/horn blower
Garry Shandling in 1949 comedian
~Athletics
Suzy Chaffee in 1946 US, skier/chapstick user (Olympics-1968)
Don January in 1929 pro golfer
Dick (Richard John) McAuliffe in 1939 baseball: Detroit Tigers
Vin Scully in 1927 sportscaster (NBC Baseball & Dodgers)
~Business / Education / Politics
Frank Reynolds in 1923 news anchor (ABC Evening News)
John Harvard in 1607clergyman, scholar: Harvard College named for him
Jacques Chirac in 1932 President of France
~Science / Religion
Christian Doppler in 1803discovered Doppler Effect (color shift)
Dr David Reuben in 1933 writer (Everything You Wanted to Know about Sex)
In Remembrance~
Ralph Bellamy actor, @ 87
Cary Grant actor @ 82
George Harrison English singer, guitarist, songwriter, and Beatle cancer @ 58
Giacomo Puccini Italian composer cancer @ 66
Howard Pyle (Gov-R-AZ, 1951-55), @ 81
Natalie Wood actress drowns @ 43
Historical Events on this day
1825…1st Italian opera, Barber of Seville, produced in US (NYC)
1890…1st Army-Navy football game, Score: Navy 24, Army 0 at West Point
1944…John Hopkins hospital performs 1st open heart surgery
1963…The Warren Commission led by the Chief Justice of the United States Earl Warren established
1994…The city of Seoul celebrated its 600th anniversary as the capital of Korea.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ Whitewash
Complete the following words or expressions featuring the color 'white'.
1. A government report
2. A minor untruth
3. A leukocyte
4. Residence of the Presidents
5. Milk thickened with a butter and flour roux
6. A symbol of cowardice
7. A valuable which is expensive to keep
8. A piece of cloth waved in surrender
9. Caucasian
10. A northern cetacean
11. A sale of household linen
12. A kayaker's paradise
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ANSWERS
1. A government report: white paper or white book
2. A minor untruth: white lie
3. A leukocyte: white blood cell
4. Residence of the Presidents: White House
5. Milk thickened with a butter and flour roux: white sauce
6. A symbol of cowardice: white feather
7. A valuable which is expensive to keep: white elephant
8. A piece of cloth waved in surrender: white flag
9. Caucasian: white man
10. A northern cetacean: white whale
11. A sale of household linen: white sale
12. A kayaker's paradise: whitewater
Saturday
332 days so far this year…33 days remain in 2009
***Provocative Quote***
"A good man gone wrong is usually a bad man found out." ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
Black Friday. I didn’t help out merchants today. I drove by a couple of stores but the parking lots were full and I didn’t really have to buy anything today. Just didn’t want to deal with the crowds. While yesterday’s paper was huge—filled with ads—there was nothing on sale today that I wanted, needed, or was worth the hassle.
It was a lazy day for me today. No real reason to be lazy, but enjoyable none the less. I caught up on some shows I had missed during my trip. I mopped a couple of floors. I fed the birds again but there just aren’t as many a month ago. Oh, right, they have migrated to warmer areas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
± Good New from Values.com
Lan Yin "Eiko" Tsai, attired in a classy dress and pumps, is a standout among the spandex-clad crowd at New Jersey's City to Shore, a 150-mile bike ride that benefits multiple sclerosis research. Appearances, however, can be deceiving. The spry, petite 84-year old has been biking the event for the past 26 years, and this is her normal riding uniform.
Riding a vintage one-speed purple bicycle outfitted with a wire basket on the front that holds her possessions, Tsai certainly makes a memorable splash. But it is her spirit of volunteerism and determination, spanning over two decades, that makes her a venerable symbol of the event.
It all started when Tsai began to work in a hospital many years ago. A native of Taiwan, she was trained in Japan in the art of shiatsu massage. So while working at the hospital, "I started to put my hands where they hurt," she says. Tsai began regularly giving massages to cancer patients, until one day, about 26 years ago, she massaged a patient with MS. It was then and there that she first heard about the bike ride and decided to participate. Huffington Post
± Unusual News
HOW NOT TO WRITE A RESUME. These excerpts were compiled from actual resumes and have appeared in magazines and numerous online publications.
-"Was met with a string of broken promises and lies, as well as cockroaches."
-"Please call me after 5:30 because I am self-employed and my employer does not know I am looking for another job."
-"I was proud to win the Gregg Typting Award."
-"Physical disabilities include minor allergies to house cats and Mongolian sheep."
-"Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain operation."
-"They insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 every morning. Couldn't work under those conditions."
-"I was working for my mom until she decided to move."
-"Work Experience: Dealing with customer conflicts that arouse."
± Random Fact
The official name of Rhode Island is “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
§ Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
§ 26 NOV Observances
Internat’l Aura Awareness Day
Eid al-Adha—Shiite Muslim Day honoring of Abraham and the sacrifice of his son.
-Albania : Independence Day from Turkey (1912)
-Mauritius : Independence Day from France (1960)
-UAE : Accession of the Ruler of Abu Dhabi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1895 America's 1st auto race starts; 6 cars, 55 miles, winner averages 7 MPH. The race took almost 8 hours.
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
Henry Bacon in 1866 architect (Lincoln Memorial)
William Blake in 1757 English poet/painter (Songs of Innocence & Experience)
Berry Gordy Jr in 1929 record company owner (Motown)
R.B. Greaves in 1945 singer: Take a Letter Maria
Judd Nelson in 1959 actor
Paul Shaffer in 1949 orchestra leader (SNL, David Letterman)
Anna Nicole Smith in 1967 model. Playmate, Tabloid regular
Jon Stewart in 1962 Emmy Award-winning comedian, actor
~Athletics
Paul Warfield in 1942 NFL/WFL wide receiver (Cleveland, Miami, Memphis)
~Business / Education / Politics
Friedrich Engels in 1820 social philosopher; Marx's collaborator
Gary Hart (Gary Warren Hartpence) in 1936 U.S. Senator-CO; U.S. presidential candidate [1984]
~Science / Religion
John Bunyan England in 1628 cleric/author (Pilgrim's Progress)
In Remembrance~
Dwight Davis donator of the Davis cup, @ 66
Washington Irving American writer @ 76
Garry Moore American entertainer @ 78
James A Naismith creator of basketball @ 78
Rosalind Russell actress @ 69
Historical Events on this day
1520…Ferdinand Magellan begins crossing Pacific Ocean
1929…Adm Richard E Byrd makes 1st South Pole flight
1932…Groucho Marx performed on radio for the first time.
1942…Coffee rationing began in the United States, lasting through the end of World War II.
1943…FDR, Churchill & Stalin met at Tehran to map out strategy
1948…"Hopalong Cassidy" premiers on TV
1981…Alabama football coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant won his 315th victory to become college football’s all-time career victory leader.
1988…Picasso's "Acrobat & Harlequin" sells for $38.46 million
1995…President Clinton ends federal 55 mph speed limit that began in 1974
2001…Enron Corp. collapses--once the world's largest energy trader employing over 20,000 employees share price has now dropped below one dollar from a high of $90.00 per share
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ Green Space
Complete the following expressions featuring the color green.
1. pale or sickly:
2. permission to proceed:
3. jealous:
4. member of the U.S. Army Special Services:
5. document allowing aliens to work legally in the U.S.:
6. they sing "Time of Your Life":
7. they launched a line of frozen foods in 1961:
8. 1996 serial novel by Stephen King:
9. great gardeners have one I'm told:
10. Lombardi's NFL team:
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ANSWERS
1. pale or sickly: green around the gills
2. permission to proceed: green light
3. jealous: green with envy
4. member of the U.S. Army Special Services: Green Beret
5. document allowing aliens to work legally in the U.S.: green card
6. they sing "Time of Your Life": Green Day
7. they launched a line of frozen foods in 1961: Green Giant
8. 1996 serial novel by Stephen King: The Green Mile
9. great gardeners have one I'm told: green thumb
10. Lombardi's NFL team: Green Bay Packers
***Provocative Quote***
"A good man gone wrong is usually a bad man found out." ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
Black Friday. I didn’t help out merchants today. I drove by a couple of stores but the parking lots were full and I didn’t really have to buy anything today. Just didn’t want to deal with the crowds. While yesterday’s paper was huge—filled with ads—there was nothing on sale today that I wanted, needed, or was worth the hassle.
It was a lazy day for me today. No real reason to be lazy, but enjoyable none the less. I caught up on some shows I had missed during my trip. I mopped a couple of floors. I fed the birds again but there just aren’t as many a month ago. Oh, right, they have migrated to warmer areas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
± Good New from Values.com
Lan Yin "Eiko" Tsai, attired in a classy dress and pumps, is a standout among the spandex-clad crowd at New Jersey's City to Shore, a 150-mile bike ride that benefits multiple sclerosis research. Appearances, however, can be deceiving. The spry, petite 84-year old has been biking the event for the past 26 years, and this is her normal riding uniform.
Riding a vintage one-speed purple bicycle outfitted with a wire basket on the front that holds her possessions, Tsai certainly makes a memorable splash. But it is her spirit of volunteerism and determination, spanning over two decades, that makes her a venerable symbol of the event.
It all started when Tsai began to work in a hospital many years ago. A native of Taiwan, she was trained in Japan in the art of shiatsu massage. So while working at the hospital, "I started to put my hands where they hurt," she says. Tsai began regularly giving massages to cancer patients, until one day, about 26 years ago, she massaged a patient with MS. It was then and there that she first heard about the bike ride and decided to participate. Huffington Post
± Unusual News
HOW NOT TO WRITE A RESUME. These excerpts were compiled from actual resumes and have appeared in magazines and numerous online publications.
-"Was met with a string of broken promises and lies, as well as cockroaches."
-"Please call me after 5:30 because I am self-employed and my employer does not know I am looking for another job."
-"I was proud to win the Gregg Typting Award."
-"Physical disabilities include minor allergies to house cats and Mongolian sheep."
-"Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain operation."
-"They insisted that all employees get to work by 8:45 every morning. Couldn't work under those conditions."
-"I was working for my mom until she decided to move."
-"Work Experience: Dealing with customer conflicts that arouse."
± Random Fact
The official name of Rhode Island is “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
§ November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
§ Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
§ 26 NOV Observances
Internat’l Aura Awareness Day
Eid al-Adha—Shiite Muslim Day honoring of Abraham and the sacrifice of his son.
-Albania : Independence Day from Turkey (1912)
-Mauritius : Independence Day from France (1960)
-UAE : Accession of the Ruler of Abu Dhabi
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1895 America's 1st auto race starts; 6 cars, 55 miles, winner averages 7 MPH. The race took almost 8 hours.
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
Henry Bacon in 1866 architect (Lincoln Memorial)
William Blake in 1757 English poet/painter (Songs of Innocence & Experience)
Berry Gordy Jr in 1929 record company owner (Motown)
R.B. Greaves in 1945 singer: Take a Letter Maria
Judd Nelson in 1959 actor
Paul Shaffer in 1949 orchestra leader (SNL, David Letterman)
Anna Nicole Smith in 1967 model. Playmate, Tabloid regular
Jon Stewart in 1962 Emmy Award-winning comedian, actor
~Athletics
Paul Warfield in 1942 NFL/WFL wide receiver (Cleveland, Miami, Memphis)
~Business / Education / Politics
Friedrich Engels in 1820 social philosopher; Marx's collaborator
Gary Hart (Gary Warren Hartpence) in 1936 U.S. Senator-CO; U.S. presidential candidate [1984]
~Science / Religion
John Bunyan England in 1628 cleric/author (Pilgrim's Progress)
In Remembrance~
Dwight Davis donator of the Davis cup, @ 66
Washington Irving American writer @ 76
Garry Moore American entertainer @ 78
James A Naismith creator of basketball @ 78
Rosalind Russell actress @ 69
Historical Events on this day
1520…Ferdinand Magellan begins crossing Pacific Ocean
1929…Adm Richard E Byrd makes 1st South Pole flight
1932…Groucho Marx performed on radio for the first time.
1942…Coffee rationing began in the United States, lasting through the end of World War II.
1943…FDR, Churchill & Stalin met at Tehran to map out strategy
1948…"Hopalong Cassidy" premiers on TV
1981…Alabama football coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant won his 315th victory to become college football’s all-time career victory leader.
1988…Picasso's "Acrobat & Harlequin" sells for $38.46 million
1995…President Clinton ends federal 55 mph speed limit that began in 1974
2001…Enron Corp. collapses--once the world's largest energy trader employing over 20,000 employees share price has now dropped below one dollar from a high of $90.00 per share
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§ Green Space
Complete the following expressions featuring the color green.
1. pale or sickly:
2. permission to proceed:
3. jealous:
4. member of the U.S. Army Special Services:
5. document allowing aliens to work legally in the U.S.:
6. they sing "Time of Your Life":
7. they launched a line of frozen foods in 1961:
8. 1996 serial novel by Stephen King:
9. great gardeners have one I'm told:
10. Lombardi's NFL team:
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ANSWERS
1. pale or sickly: green around the gills
2. permission to proceed: green light
3. jealous: green with envy
4. member of the U.S. Army Special Services: Green Beret
5. document allowing aliens to work legally in the U.S.: green card
6. they sing "Time of Your Life": Green Day
7. they launched a line of frozen foods in 1961: Green Giant
8. 1996 serial novel by Stephen King: The Green Mile
9. great gardeners have one I'm told: green thumb
10. Lombardi's NFL team: Green Bay Packers
Friday
331 days so far this year…34 days remain in 2009
***Provocative Quote***
"No man can serve two masters, yes-men can serve hundreds." ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
What a great Thanksgiving! Eight of us got together at a log cabin just outside Flagstaff. Martha always brings unique people to her meals. Today, was no different. I met a Pakistani student. She and I had a great conversation about her Muslim life here in the US. About half way through our conversation, I told her it was the first time I had spoken, at length, to a Muslim woman. She admitted that this would not have happened in Islamabad since usually single women don’t talk to single men like this. She is here to learn and said that cultures are different. She follows Halal, much like Kosher. The hardest parts of being in Flagstaff are that no Halal food is available, and there is only one other International Muslim female at NAU. She has been here about 4 months and will be here for a total of two years. She won’t be able to go home, partly because of funding and partly because she doesn’t want to go through the home-sick thing all over again. Technology is making her stay much easier as she can see and talk to her family daily over the internet. She enjoyed our ‘Thanksgiving’ celebration. She tasted all the food that didn’t contain meat and met Halal restrictions, and seemed to enjoy everything. She didn’t understand the ‘eat until you can’t eat anymore and then have dessert’ concept of Thanksgiving. I’m sure the feast provided her with lots of stories for her family.
While all the food was exceptional, the pumpkin cheesecake was amazing. I never would have thought of it, but it was almost better than pumpkin pie. Almost!
Now that I am full, I guess I won’t eat again until next week sometime.
It was a great weather day. We made it to 52° and there was no breeze. I actually drove over and back with the windows rolled down. I haven’t been able to do that since I got back from my trip.
Check out some of the new features in the rest of this blog. Some things are new, some have moved. Enjoy.
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± Good New from Values.com
After tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own, Terry Hitchcock, of St. Paul Minnesota, seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families. Terry completed his task in 1996 at the age of 57. Then he wrote a book, made a movie, and became an inspirational speaker.
± Unusual News
LONDON - Transport for London's lost property office, which turns 75 this year, has dealt with unusual items including breast implants and bull sperm. The office, which attempts to reconnect property owners with items left on buses, trains and trams, said some of the oddest items to pass its doors include a jar of bull sperm, a theatrical coffin, breast implants and a 14-foot-long boat, The Times of London reported Thursday. The items, revealed in "The Book of Lists: London," also include a vasectomy kit, a garden slide, an urn of ashes and two human skulls. Lost property office officials said they collected 170,000 items in 2008, including 36,852 books, 28,550 bags and 27,174 articles of clothing.
± Random Fact
The average cat sleeps about 2/3 of the day
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§ November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
§ Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
§ 26 NOV Observances
Black Friday Day
Buy Nothing Day
Flossing Day
National Day of Listening
-Burma: National Day
-Cuba: Martyrs' Day
-Israel: Weizmann Day
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1924 New York City's Macy's department store held its first Thanksgiving Day parade
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
James Agee in 1909-- American writer (The African Queen)
Jimi Hendrix in 1942--rock guitarist
Bruce Lee(Lee Jun Fan) in 1940--karate star/actor
David Merrick in 1912--Broadway producer (Hello Dolly)
Eddie Rabbitt in 1944--country singer
"Buffalo" Bob Smith in 1917--TV host (Howdy Doody)
Jaleel White in 1976--actor (Steve Urkel-Family Matters)
~Athletics
Johnny Blood aka John McNally, in 1903--early NFL halfback (Green Bay)
~Business / Education / Politics
Charles A Beard in 1874--American historian
Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg in 1957--JFK's daughter
Chaim Weizmann in 1874--Israeli statesman (1st President)
~Science / Religion
Anders Celsius in 1701--scientist, inventor (centigrade temp scale)
Joseph Mack in 1870--inventor: passenger bus; builder of gasoline-powered delivery wagons; founder [w/brothers] of Mack Truck Company
In Remembrance~
Alexandre Dumas French author @ 71
Horace poet & satirist @57
Ross McWhirter Guinness Book of Records keeper (murdered for political views by IRA @ 50)
Harvey Milk American politician (assassinated @ 48)
George Moscone Mayor of San Francisco (assassinated @ 49)
Baby Face Nelson American gangster (shot by FBI @ 26)
Eugene O'Neill playwright, @ 65
Clement Studebaker American automobile manufacturer @ 70
Historical Events on this day
1815…Cracow (Poland) declared a free republic
1817…US soldiers attack Florida Indian village, beginning Seminole War
1870…NY Times dubs baseball "The National Game"
1895…Alfred Nobel establishes Nobel Prize
1915…Private Albert Mountain Horse is buried in Fort Macleod, Alberta. He is the only Blood Indian to go to the front lines in World War One. He dies due to exposure to poison gas on the battlefield.
1924…New York City's Macy's department store held its first Thanksgiving Day parade
1937…Pro-labor musical revue "Pins & Needles" opens, produced by ILGWU
1951…1st rocket to intercept an airplane, White Sands, NM
1966…In highest-scoring NFL game, Wash Redskins defeat NY Giants 72-41
1970…Pope Paul VI wounded in chest during a visit to Philippines
1973…The US Senate approved Gerald R. Ford as the nation's 40th vice president, following the resignation of Spiro T. Agnew after pleading guilty to income tax evasion.
1975…The government of Britain decided to grant partial self-rule to both Scotland and Wales.
1985…Republic of Ireland gains consultative role in Northern Ireland
2006…The Québécois nation motion ( "That this House recognize that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada." ) is approved by the House of Commons in the Parliament of Canada.
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§ Blue by You
Complete the following expressions featuring the color 'blue'.
1. unforeseen; at an unexpected time:
2. American League baseball team:
3. scurrility:
4. regulation designed to prohibit Sunday shopping:
5. hardly ever:
6. skin flick:
7. an award given for excellence:
8. a rapid stream of words:
9. faithful:
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ANSWERS
1. unforeseen; at an unexpected time: out of the blue
2. American League baseball team: Toronto Blue Jays
3. scurrility: blue language
4. regulation designed to prohibit Sunday shopping: blue laws
5. hardly ever: once in a blue moon
6. skin flick: blue movie
7. an award given for excellence: blue ribbon
8. a rapid stream of words: blue streak
9. faithful: true blue
***Provocative Quote***
"No man can serve two masters, yes-men can serve hundreds." ~unknown
***Free Ramblings***
What a great Thanksgiving! Eight of us got together at a log cabin just outside Flagstaff. Martha always brings unique people to her meals. Today, was no different. I met a Pakistani student. She and I had a great conversation about her Muslim life here in the US. About half way through our conversation, I told her it was the first time I had spoken, at length, to a Muslim woman. She admitted that this would not have happened in Islamabad since usually single women don’t talk to single men like this. She is here to learn and said that cultures are different. She follows Halal, much like Kosher. The hardest parts of being in Flagstaff are that no Halal food is available, and there is only one other International Muslim female at NAU. She has been here about 4 months and will be here for a total of two years. She won’t be able to go home, partly because of funding and partly because she doesn’t want to go through the home-sick thing all over again. Technology is making her stay much easier as she can see and talk to her family daily over the internet. She enjoyed our ‘Thanksgiving’ celebration. She tasted all the food that didn’t contain meat and met Halal restrictions, and seemed to enjoy everything. She didn’t understand the ‘eat until you can’t eat anymore and then have dessert’ concept of Thanksgiving. I’m sure the feast provided her with lots of stories for her family.
While all the food was exceptional, the pumpkin cheesecake was amazing. I never would have thought of it, but it was almost better than pumpkin pie. Almost!
Now that I am full, I guess I won’t eat again until next week sometime.
It was a great weather day. We made it to 52° and there was no breeze. I actually drove over and back with the windows rolled down. I haven’t been able to do that since I got back from my trip.
Check out some of the new features in the rest of this blog. Some things are new, some have moved. Enjoy.
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± Good New from Values.com
After tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own, Terry Hitchcock, of St. Paul Minnesota, seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families. Terry completed his task in 1996 at the age of 57. Then he wrote a book, made a movie, and became an inspirational speaker.
± Unusual News
LONDON - Transport for London's lost property office, which turns 75 this year, has dealt with unusual items including breast implants and bull sperm. The office, which attempts to reconnect property owners with items left on buses, trains and trams, said some of the oddest items to pass its doors include a jar of bull sperm, a theatrical coffin, breast implants and a 14-foot-long boat, The Times of London reported Thursday. The items, revealed in "The Book of Lists: London," also include a vasectomy kit, a garden slide, an urn of ashes and two human skulls. Lost property office officials said they collected 170,000 items in 2008, including 36,852 books, 28,550 bags and 27,174 articles of clothing.
± Random Fact
The average cat sleeps about 2/3 of the day
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§ November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
§ Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
§ 26 NOV Observances
Black Friday Day
Buy Nothing Day
Flossing Day
National Day of Listening
-Burma: National Day
-Cuba: Martyrs' Day
-Israel: Weizmann Day
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~ Holy Mackerel: On this day in 1924 New York City's Macy's department store held its first Thanksgiving Day parade
BIRTHS ON THIS DAY
~ The Arts
James Agee in 1909-- American writer (The African Queen)
Jimi Hendrix in 1942--rock guitarist
Bruce Lee(Lee Jun Fan) in 1940--karate star/actor
David Merrick in 1912--Broadway producer (Hello Dolly)
Eddie Rabbitt in 1944--country singer
"Buffalo" Bob Smith in 1917--TV host (Howdy Doody)
Jaleel White in 1976--actor (Steve Urkel-Family Matters)
~Athletics
Johnny Blood aka John McNally, in 1903--early NFL halfback (Green Bay)
~Business / Education / Politics
Charles A Beard in 1874--American historian
Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg in 1957--JFK's daughter
Chaim Weizmann in 1874--Israeli statesman (1st President)
~Science / Religion
Anders Celsius in 1701--scientist, inventor (centigrade temp scale)
Joseph Mack in 1870--inventor: passenger bus; builder of gasoline-powered delivery wagons; founder [w/brothers] of Mack Truck Company
In Remembrance~
Alexandre Dumas French author @ 71
Horace poet & satirist @57
Ross McWhirter Guinness Book of Records keeper (murdered for political views by IRA @ 50)
Harvey Milk American politician (assassinated @ 48)
George Moscone Mayor of San Francisco (assassinated @ 49)
Baby Face Nelson American gangster (shot by FBI @ 26)
Eugene O'Neill playwright, @ 65
Clement Studebaker American automobile manufacturer @ 70
Historical Events on this day
1815…Cracow (Poland) declared a free republic
1817…US soldiers attack Florida Indian village, beginning Seminole War
1870…NY Times dubs baseball "The National Game"
1895…Alfred Nobel establishes Nobel Prize
1915…Private Albert Mountain Horse is buried in Fort Macleod, Alberta. He is the only Blood Indian to go to the front lines in World War One. He dies due to exposure to poison gas on the battlefield.
1924…New York City's Macy's department store held its first Thanksgiving Day parade
1937…Pro-labor musical revue "Pins & Needles" opens, produced by ILGWU
1951…1st rocket to intercept an airplane, White Sands, NM
1966…In highest-scoring NFL game, Wash Redskins defeat NY Giants 72-41
1970…Pope Paul VI wounded in chest during a visit to Philippines
1973…The US Senate approved Gerald R. Ford as the nation's 40th vice president, following the resignation of Spiro T. Agnew after pleading guilty to income tax evasion.
1975…The government of Britain decided to grant partial self-rule to both Scotland and Wales.
1985…Republic of Ireland gains consultative role in Northern Ireland
2006…The Québécois nation motion ( "That this House recognize that the Québécois form a nation within a united Canada." ) is approved by the House of Commons in the Parliament of Canada.
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§ Blue by You
Complete the following expressions featuring the color 'blue'.
1. unforeseen; at an unexpected time:
2. American League baseball team:
3. scurrility:
4. regulation designed to prohibit Sunday shopping:
5. hardly ever:
6. skin flick:
7. an award given for excellence:
8. a rapid stream of words:
9. faithful:
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1. unforeseen; at an unexpected time: out of the blue
2. American League baseball team: Toronto Blue Jays
3. scurrility: blue language
4. regulation designed to prohibit Sunday shopping: blue laws
5. hardly ever: once in a blue moon
6. skin flick: blue movie
7. an award given for excellence: blue ribbon
8. a rapid stream of words: blue streak
9. faithful: true blue
Thanksgiving 2009
"No great scoundrel is ever uninteresting." ~Murray Kempton-American Journalist
~~~Free Ramblings
I survived the day. No pain, no problems with my nose. I took off the huge complete nose bandage, and found a very small incision with about four stitches on the side of my nose. There is a little swelling but not bad. I greased it up, and put on a small band aid. Life is good. I also heard from several others who have had similar incidents. Always a shock to be told, but modern medicine seems to be on top of it for me and for my friends.
I spent part of the day getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. I am bringing two pies. One pumpkin, one blueberry. Neither is really a challenge since I use premade fresh pie crust. I’m not a good pastry guy, so this makes life much easier. We will be getting together just out of town, at a friend’s house. I’ve been going there since I retired, and it is always a good meal, good company, and a very good time. I did have to run and pick up some things, and thought that by doing it before noon would beat the crowds at the grocery store. Wrong. Both the Albertson’s and Safeway lots were full, as were most of the aisles. Luckily, they planned ahead and had plenty of cash registers open, so getting out was not as hard as getting in. I’m sure that those people who waited until later were greeted with long lines and long waits everywhere.
Alas, I remember not so many years ago when all the stores were closed on Thanksgiving. They also closed early on the day before Thanksgiving. Workers got to spend time with their families. I do wish we could return to those days of yesteryear. We have become so used to instant gratification, that the stores are only open because they have customers. Most stores have to pay their employees either time and a half, or even double time. Back in the day, it was triple time. This is good for the employees who work. Every bit of added money helps the pay check. However, who is paying for the convenience? All of us are paying. I know that no store owner is going to take a loss to be open. So, if no one goes to the stores on the Holiday, they won’t be open next year. Store employees will be able to spend time enjoying the day. So, I am starting my one man campaign by not going to any store tomorrow. Anything I forgot will just be missed. I can always buy it another time. Of course, I will be joining the madness Friday. I’m not going to be there in line at 3am or 4am. I don’t need anything that badly this year. I have been an early bird in years past, but not this year. Last year I was at the store by 7am and got a great tree and a wonderful fireplace. I really enjoyed the tree during the holidays, as I will again this year. The fireplace kept me toasty throughout the winter months and it has already been turned on a couple of cold evenings.
Flagstaff made it to 50° today and while there was a slight breeze, overall it was a good day to be outside. Tomorrow should be the same. Then, at least for now, they are predicting some snow over the weekend. It’s only a 30% chance, but that is enough to get our hopes up. Any precipitation will make the cold nights a little less bothersome.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.
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~~~Random Facts
In 1933, Mickey Mouse, an animated cartoon character, received 800,000 fan letters.
Your nails grow faster in outer space
~~~Unusual News
DELTONA, Fla. - Authorities in Florida said they arrested a man whose whispered demands for money went unanswered at a Deltona store. Volusia County sheriff's deputies said Carlie McDuffie, 24, walked into a Family Dollar store and told an employee to hand over money from the register in a quiet voice that the clerk either didn't hear or didn't understand, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught said the 34-year-old clerk asked McDuffie what he needed and the suspect repeated the demand in the same whispered tone. The clerk again asked what he needed, and McDuffie said "forget it" and left the store, Haught said.
The spokesman said the clerk soon realized what had happened and called 911. McDuffie was arrested less than 30 minutes later and charged with attempted robbery and resisting arrest without violence.
~~~Before They Were Famous
DENNIS RODMAN was a camp counselor for the Boys Club of Memphis.
Before finding fame, comedian RAY ROMANO had studied to become an accountant. In fact, he did work as a bank teller for a while.
DIANA ROSS revealed in an interview that when she was 14, Motown CEO Berry Gordy turned her away for being too young, so instead she worked as his secretary, mostly organizing his office.
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~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
~~~26 NOV Observances
330 days so far this year…35 days remain in 2009
Thanksgiving Day
Get Your Shopping List Ready Day
^Lebanon : Independence Day from France (1943)
^ Mongolia: Independence Day from China (1921)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1905…Emlyn Williams Wales, actor/playwright (David Copperfield)
1912…(Arnold) Eric Sevareid Emmy Award-winning news correspondent
1922…Charles M Schulz cartoonist (Peanuts)
1933…Robert Goulet singer/actor
1938…Rich Little impressionist/actor
1938…Tina Turner [Anna Mae Bullock], singer (Proud Mary)
~ATHLETICS
1954…Bob Murray hockey: NHL: Chicago Blackhawks player, coach
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1792…Sarah Moore Grimk‚ American antislavery, women's rights advocate
1832…Mary Edwards Walker US, doctor/women's rights leader
1857…Ferdinand de Saussure linguist (Cours de Laguistique Generale)
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1607…John Harvard clergyman/scholar, major benefactor to Harvard University (library & half his estate)
1894…Norbert Wiener US, mathematician/discovered cybernetics
~~~In Remembrance–
1639…John Spottiswoode, Scottish historian @ 74
1883…Sojourner Truth abolitionist, women's rights advocate @ 86
1939…James Naismith Basketball inventor @ 78
1986…Scatman Crothers actor @ 76
~~~Historical Events on this day
411…Maya King Siyaj Chan K'awill II (Stormy Sky) ascends the Tikal throne in Guatemala.
1778…Capt Cook discovers Sandwich Islands
1789…1st national thanksgiving
1825…1st college fraternity founded (Kappa Alpha (Union College, NY))
1865…Alice in Wonderland published
1922…The British archaeologist Lord Carnarvon and the American archaeologist Howard Carter enter King Tut's tomb for the first time
1941…President Franklin D Roosevelt signs a bill that establishes the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day
1942…"Casablanca," starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, has its world premiere at the Hollywood Theater in New York.
1942…President Roosevelt orders nationwide gasoline rationing to begin on December 1st, prior to this gas rationing only existed in a few US states.
1962…1st recording session under the name "Beatles"
2003…Concord makes it's last flight over Bristol, England on the way to it's final resting place at LHR - FILTON where it had made it's first flight on 20th April 1979
~ Holy Mackerel
1716…1st lion exhibited in America (Boston)
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New Puzzle: Blue by You
Complete the following expressions featuring the color 'blue'.
1. of noble birth
2. a valuable asset or high-priced stock
3. 1964 Elvis Presley single
4. of the working class
5. 1867 Strauss waltz
6. depression
7. Southern U.S. folk music genre
8. 1899 Stephen Crane short story
9. exasperated
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1. of noble birth: blue blood
2. a valuable asset or high-priced stock: blue chip
3. 1964 Elvis Presley single: Blue Christmas
4. of the working class: blue collar
5. 1867 Strauss waltz: Blue Danube
6. depression: blue funk or blue devils (or blues)
7. Southern U.S. folk music genre: blue grass
8. 1899 Stephen Crane short story: "The Blue Hotel"
9. exasperated: blue in the face
Wednesday
~~~ Provocative Quote
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." ~ Wizard of Oz
~~~Free Ramblings
My minor surgery for a basal cell growth on my nose went very well. I got there at 8:15 and was out about 10:30. He said it was easy. Looking at me right now, I look like I either lost a really bad fight or had a nose job. The bandage covers my entire nose, even though the actual spot is fairly small. I go back in a week to get the two or three stitches removed. Tomorrow I take of this huge bandage and put on a normal sized bandage until the stitches come out. I’m sure there is some swelling, since it feels funny when I breathe through my nose. I’ve got to come up with a better story for Thanksgiving Dinner. This one is just boring. I’ve thought about saying it was a lion encounter while in Africa or maybe a very bumpy ride on an airplane, or some shadow boxing with Sugar Ray Leonard. Any of these is better than minor surgery.
Our economic woes continue. Our non-elected governor is making life very difficult for everyone. She doesn’t seem to know what she wants, she refuses to accept something, and then a few weeks later she accepts it. It must be driving the legislature crazy. She is a Republican and there is a Republican majority in both houses. Even so, they can’t agree on how to solve our woes. The Democrats are not that powerful here in Arizona, so when the Republicans can’t agree, we know our state is in trouble. To top it all off, there is talk in Republican circles that Sheriff Joe will be their gubernatorial candidate—rather than current Governor Jan. Sheriff Joe is so far right he isn’t even on the scale. This could be good for democrats, since Sheriff Joe is not that popular outside Maricopa County, and of course he is under several investigations from the Feds. Republicans are also looking at J D Hayworth to run against John McCain. Believe it or not, J D is more conservative than either of our current senators. Twenty-ten will certainly be a good year for political craziness here in Arizona.
Utah has a huge High Pressure Weather System over most of the state. That means that Flagstaff is cold, windy, and fairly miserable. We got to 42° today, which isn’t bad—until you take off about 10° for the wind chill factor. It may be warmer tonight than we are used to—they say it will be 25°, but again the wind chill will continue to drop the temp by 8-10 degrees. I don’t mind the cold, in fact I usually work better in the cold. What I detest is the wind. It doesn’t matter to me if it is a hot wind, a warm wind, a cool wind, or a cold wind. Bottom Line is that it is wind and brings me nuttin’ but frustration. I have met people who work better in warm weather, some who have worked better in hot weather. I have met people who better in cool weather, some who have worked better in cold weather. I have yet to meet anyone who works better in windy weather.
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~~~Random Facts
Less than 3% of Nestlé's sales are for chocolate.
The collecting of Beer mats is called Tegestology.
~~~Unusual News
BRISBANE, Australia - The head of a New Zealand expedition said his team is attempting to retrieve whiskey that explorer Ernest Shackleton took with him on his South Pole expedition. Expedition leader Al Fastier said crates containing the whiskey were abandoned by the British explorer during his failed 1909 journey and are currently frozen in ice in Antarctica, The (Brisbane, Australia) Courier Mail reported.
Fastier said his expedition team will use special drills to gain access to the trapped crates and he hopes to procure a bottle of the McKinlay and Co. whiskey. Even if the expedition is successful, Fastier said he has no intention of drinking what he might recover. "It's better to imagine it than to taste it. That way it keeps its mystery," he said.
The Courier Mail said Whyte & Mackay, the company that owned the now-defunct McKinlay and Co., has asked for a sample of the whiskey so it could attempt to replicate it.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Before becoming famous, JULIA ROBERTS worked in an ice cream shop.
In 1987, long before his Saturday Night Live fame, CHRIS ROCK appeared on Miami Vice as a file clerk who happens to also be an UFO expert.
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~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
329 days so far this year…36 days remain in 2009
National Parfait Day
Tie One On Day
Internat’l Day For the Elimination of Violence Against Women Day
^Surinam : Independence Day from Netherlands (1975)
^Bosnia and Herzegovina: National Day—Independence from Croatia (1943)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1562…Lope Felix de Vega dramatist/poet (Angelica, Arcadia)
1893…Robert Ripley illustrator (Believe it or Not)
1920…Ricardo Montalban actor (Fantasy Island
1941…Percy Sledge singer: When a Man Loves a Woman
1947…John Larroquette actor
1960…Amy Grant gospel singer
1969…Jill Hennessy actress: Law & Order
1971…Christine Applegate Hollywood, actress
~ATHLETICS
1914…Joe DiMaggio Yankee Clipper (56 game hitting streak)
1940…Joe Gibbs football: coach
1951…Bucky (Russell Earl) Dent baseball: shortstop
1963…Bernie Kosar football: Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins QB
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1835…Andrew Carnegie steel industrialist/library builder
1846…Carry Nation scourge of barkeepers & drinkers
1944…Ben Stein lawyer, speech writer [for Pres Nixon and Ford], columnist, author
1960…John F Kennedy “John-John” Jr lawyer
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1881…Angelo Roncalli--Pope John XXIII [Angelo Roncalli], Bergamo Italy, 261st pope
~~~In Remembrance–
1034…Máel Coluim mac Cináeda King Malcolm II of Scotland battle injuries @ 54
1881…Theobald Boehm German inventor of the modern flute @87
1885…Thomas A Hendricks 21st VP, while sleeping @ 66, 8 months after taking office
1920…Gaston Chevrolet French-born American race car driver and automobile pioneer-- racing injury @ 28
1949…Bill "Bojangles" Robinson African American entertainer @ 71 1974…U Thant UN Secretary-General (1961-72), cancer @ 65
1981…Jack Albertson actor (Chico & the Man), @ 74
1998…Clerow “Flip” Wilson American actor and comedian cancer @ 65
~~~Historical Events on this day
1715…1st English patent granted to an American, for processing corn
1834…Delmonico's, one of NY's finest restaurants, provides a meal of soup, steak, coffee & half a pie for 12 cents
1867…Alfred Nobel invents dynamite
1894…A group of nineteen Hopi "hostiles" are placed under arrest by the army for interfering with "friendly" Hopi Indian activities on their Arizona reservation.
1960…Scottish Parliament met in order to protect the alleged existence of the Loch Ness Monster.
1963…A military coup supported by the army, navy and air force has deposed the Greek government led by President George Papadopoulos.
1963…JFK laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery,
1990…Lech Walesa wins in Poland's 1st popular election
1999…Five-year-old Elian Gonzalez was found clinging to an inner tube off the coast near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
~ Holy Mackerel
1949…Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer appeared on the music charts and became THE musical hit of the Christmas season. Although Gene Autry’s rendition is the most popular, 80 different versions of the song have been recorded, with nearly 20,000,000 copies sold.
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Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Namibia
Nauru (Pacific Island)
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
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ANSWERS
Nepal 28,563,377 (growth rate: 1.2%)
Netherlands 16,715,999 (growth rate: 0.4%)
New Zealand 4,213,418 (growth rate: 0.9%)
Namibia : 2,108,665 (growth rate: 0.9%)
Nauru (Pacific Island) 14,019 (growth rate: 1.7%)
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore." ~ Wizard of Oz
~~~Free Ramblings
My minor surgery for a basal cell growth on my nose went very well. I got there at 8:15 and was out about 10:30. He said it was easy. Looking at me right now, I look like I either lost a really bad fight or had a nose job. The bandage covers my entire nose, even though the actual spot is fairly small. I go back in a week to get the two or three stitches removed. Tomorrow I take of this huge bandage and put on a normal sized bandage until the stitches come out. I’m sure there is some swelling, since it feels funny when I breathe through my nose. I’ve got to come up with a better story for Thanksgiving Dinner. This one is just boring. I’ve thought about saying it was a lion encounter while in Africa or maybe a very bumpy ride on an airplane, or some shadow boxing with Sugar Ray Leonard. Any of these is better than minor surgery.
Our economic woes continue. Our non-elected governor is making life very difficult for everyone. She doesn’t seem to know what she wants, she refuses to accept something, and then a few weeks later she accepts it. It must be driving the legislature crazy. She is a Republican and there is a Republican majority in both houses. Even so, they can’t agree on how to solve our woes. The Democrats are not that powerful here in Arizona, so when the Republicans can’t agree, we know our state is in trouble. To top it all off, there is talk in Republican circles that Sheriff Joe will be their gubernatorial candidate—rather than current Governor Jan. Sheriff Joe is so far right he isn’t even on the scale. This could be good for democrats, since Sheriff Joe is not that popular outside Maricopa County, and of course he is under several investigations from the Feds. Republicans are also looking at J D Hayworth to run against John McCain. Believe it or not, J D is more conservative than either of our current senators. Twenty-ten will certainly be a good year for political craziness here in Arizona.
Utah has a huge High Pressure Weather System over most of the state. That means that Flagstaff is cold, windy, and fairly miserable. We got to 42° today, which isn’t bad—until you take off about 10° for the wind chill factor. It may be warmer tonight than we are used to—they say it will be 25°, but again the wind chill will continue to drop the temp by 8-10 degrees. I don’t mind the cold, in fact I usually work better in the cold. What I detest is the wind. It doesn’t matter to me if it is a hot wind, a warm wind, a cool wind, or a cold wind. Bottom Line is that it is wind and brings me nuttin’ but frustration. I have met people who work better in warm weather, some who have worked better in hot weather. I have met people who better in cool weather, some who have worked better in cold weather. I have yet to meet anyone who works better in windy weather.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
Less than 3% of Nestlé's sales are for chocolate.
The collecting of Beer mats is called Tegestology.
~~~Unusual News
BRISBANE, Australia - The head of a New Zealand expedition said his team is attempting to retrieve whiskey that explorer Ernest Shackleton took with him on his South Pole expedition. Expedition leader Al Fastier said crates containing the whiskey were abandoned by the British explorer during his failed 1909 journey and are currently frozen in ice in Antarctica, The (Brisbane, Australia) Courier Mail reported.
Fastier said his expedition team will use special drills to gain access to the trapped crates and he hopes to procure a bottle of the McKinlay and Co. whiskey. Even if the expedition is successful, Fastier said he has no intention of drinking what he might recover. "It's better to imagine it than to taste it. That way it keeps its mystery," he said.
The Courier Mail said Whyte & Mackay, the company that owned the now-defunct McKinlay and Co., has asked for a sample of the whiskey so it could attempt to replicate it.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Before becoming famous, JULIA ROBERTS worked in an ice cream shop.
In 1987, long before his Saturday Night Live fame, CHRIS ROCK appeared on Miami Vice as a file clerk who happens to also be an UFO expert.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
329 days so far this year…36 days remain in 2009
National Parfait Day
Tie One On Day
Internat’l Day For the Elimination of Violence Against Women Day
^Surinam : Independence Day from Netherlands (1975)
^Bosnia and Herzegovina: National Day—Independence from Croatia (1943)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1562…Lope Felix de Vega dramatist/poet (Angelica, Arcadia)
1893…Robert Ripley illustrator (Believe it or Not)
1920…Ricardo Montalban actor (Fantasy Island
1941…Percy Sledge singer: When a Man Loves a Woman
1947…John Larroquette actor
1960…Amy Grant gospel singer
1969…Jill Hennessy actress: Law & Order
1971…Christine Applegate Hollywood, actress
~ATHLETICS
1914…Joe DiMaggio Yankee Clipper (56 game hitting streak)
1940…Joe Gibbs football: coach
1951…Bucky (Russell Earl) Dent baseball: shortstop
1963…Bernie Kosar football: Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins QB
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1835…Andrew Carnegie steel industrialist/library builder
1846…Carry Nation scourge of barkeepers & drinkers
1944…Ben Stein lawyer, speech writer [for Pres Nixon and Ford], columnist, author
1960…John F Kennedy “John-John” Jr lawyer
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1881…Angelo Roncalli--Pope John XXIII [Angelo Roncalli], Bergamo Italy, 261st pope
~~~In Remembrance–
1034…Máel Coluim mac Cináeda King Malcolm II of Scotland battle injuries @ 54
1881…Theobald Boehm German inventor of the modern flute @87
1885…Thomas A Hendricks 21st VP, while sleeping @ 66, 8 months after taking office
1920…Gaston Chevrolet French-born American race car driver and automobile pioneer-- racing injury @ 28
1949…Bill "Bojangles" Robinson African American entertainer @ 71 1974…U Thant UN Secretary-General (1961-72), cancer @ 65
1981…Jack Albertson actor (Chico & the Man), @ 74
1998…Clerow “Flip” Wilson American actor and comedian cancer @ 65
~~~Historical Events on this day
1715…1st English patent granted to an American, for processing corn
1834…Delmonico's, one of NY's finest restaurants, provides a meal of soup, steak, coffee & half a pie for 12 cents
1867…Alfred Nobel invents dynamite
1894…A group of nineteen Hopi "hostiles" are placed under arrest by the army for interfering with "friendly" Hopi Indian activities on their Arizona reservation.
1960…Scottish Parliament met in order to protect the alleged existence of the Loch Ness Monster.
1963…A military coup supported by the army, navy and air force has deposed the Greek government led by President George Papadopoulos.
1963…JFK laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery,
1990…Lech Walesa wins in Poland's 1st popular election
1999…Five-year-old Elian Gonzalez was found clinging to an inner tube off the coast near Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
~ Holy Mackerel
1949…Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer appeared on the music charts and became THE musical hit of the Christmas season. Although Gene Autry’s rendition is the most popular, 80 different versions of the song have been recorded, with nearly 20,000,000 copies sold.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Namibia
Nauru (Pacific Island)
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
^
^
^
^
^
Scroll down for answers
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
ANSWERS
Nepal 28,563,377 (growth rate: 1.2%)
Netherlands 16,715,999 (growth rate: 0.4%)
New Zealand 4,213,418 (growth rate: 0.9%)
Namibia : 2,108,665 (growth rate: 0.9%)
Nauru (Pacific Island) 14,019 (growth rate: 1.7%)
Tuesday
~~~ Provocative Quote
"Toil is most pleasant when done." ~unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
The visit to the Dentist is never one of my favorite ways the times. Today was no different. One of the hygienists didn’t come in. So my wait was longer than usual. Then the dentist dropped the bomb. I have to get a crown. Actually he suggests three crowns on teeth that had large cavities years ago. At $800 a pop and minimal dental insurance, I opted for one now and the others after the first of the year. Better to do this, I guess, than wait for the tooth to break. I have one other crown, and that came after the tooth had broken. I sure don’t want to go through that again. Not only was it expensive, it requires several visits and some oral surgery. So I’m opting for the preventative road. Tomorrow morning I get my tiny basal cell growth removed from my nose. This will be a simple procedure and take about 2 minutes…of course, it is a medical procedure, so I have to wait 2 hours while they check the thing they remove to be sure they got it all. Assuming they do, I’m free to leave. If not, another 2 minutes and another 2 hour wait. He didn’t say what happens after that. Modern medicine sure can do lots of things. It seems to me that TV can do so many medical procedures within an hour, I should be able to get out of a real doctor’s office much faster. TV shows get a DNA match in about 30 seconds. Patients enter a hospital, have a serious operation, and are on their way home before the show ends.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time for a look at things to be thankful for. There are lots of cute emails going around, and lots of funny things out there. My list of things I am thankful for is too long for this blog. I’m thankful that I have friends I can count on. I’m thankful that I am able to do things that I like to do. I am thankful that every day starts with a sun rise I can enjoy. I am thankful that I am not too old to keep learning. And the list goes on and on. Hope everyone else starts their Thankful List now, and has a list longer than mine.
We had a warmer night than usual—it only dropped to 21° last night. While I was gone, many of the birds either migrated or just gave up on me. I go for the former as there was still some suet available. When I left, they were eating two feeders a day. Now that I am back, it’s down to about one feeder every few days. I don’t blame them for leaving; these cold nights are no fun. I heard a report today that Northern Arizona’s drought is far from over. That is very depressing. Our forest is really suffering, and it is the main draw for so many of us here. Turns out it will take about 5 years of way above average precipitation to get this thing to end. And they say that is not on the horizon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
In a lifetime, an average person walks the equivalent of 5 equators.
~~~Unusual News
BEAVERTON, Ore. - A 96-year-old photographer in Oregon said he decided to plan and hold his own wake prior to his death so he could attend the event. Hugh Ackroyd, 96, said he held the wake for family and friends Sunday at the Beaverton home of friend Edda Sigurdar, The Oregonian reported Monday.
"Well, why not?" Ackroyd said of leading his own wake. "Why bother when (I'm) dead?" Ackroyd, a father of two whose wife died about 12 years ago, sat in his padded wheelchair and greeted his friends as they arrived for the event. He said one of his favorite items at the wake was a wreath bearing a ribbon reading: "Eventually, Hugh, rest in peace." "It's quite magnificent," Ackroyd said of his wake.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones) said in an interview that he worked several summers as a ball boy at a local tennis court.
When he was 11, Cal Ripken Jr. worked in a minor league ballpark in North Carolina sweeping and folding towels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
327 days so far this year…38 days remain in 2009
Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day
Use even if the seal is broken Day
^Turkey Teacher’s Day
^Republic of the Congo /Zaire New Regime Anniversary (1965)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1713…Laurence Sterne Ireland, novelist/satirist (Tristram Shandy)
1849…Frances Hodgson Burnett author of children's book (My Secret Garden)
1864…Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec France, painter (At the Moulin Rouge)
1868…Scott Joplin US, entertainer/composer (The Entertainer)
1888…Dale Carnegie author (How to Win Friends & Influence People)
1911…Kirby Grant Butte MT, actor (Sky King)
1917…Howard Duff Bremerton Wash, actor (Flamingo Road, Knots Landing)
1940…Johnny Carver singer: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
1944…Bob Lind singer, songwriter: Elusive Butterfly
~ATHLETICS
1806…William Webb Ellis, credited with the invention of Rugby
1938…Oscar Robertson Basketball Hall of Famer: ‘The Big O’
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1784…Zachary Taylor (Whig) 12th President
1853…Bat Masterson gambler, gunfighter
1877…Alben Barkley 35th Vice President of the U.S. (Truman)
1925…William F Buckley Jr right-wing curmudgeon
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1713…Father Junipero Serra established many of the missions in California.
1774…Thomas Dick, Scottish scientific teacher and writer
~~~In Remembrance–
1957…Diego Rivera, Mexican painter @ 71
1962…James J Kilroy tank inspector (Kilroy was here), @ 60
1980…George Raft NYC, actor @ 85
2004…Arthur Hailey, British-born author @ 84
2005…Pat Morita, American actor @ 73
~~~Historical Events on this day
1859…Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species"
1871…National Rifle Association organized (NYC)
1874…Joseph F Glidden patents barbed wire
1947…John Steinbeck's novel "The Pearl" published
1971…Dan "DB" Cooper parachutes from a Northwest AL 727 with $200,000
1974…In northeastern Ethiopia Lucy, a three-million-year-old hominid, is the most complete early man discovery ever made in Africa
~ Holy Mackerel
1933…George Bernard Shaw showed his admiration for Hitler. What Shaw most admired about him was his “expression of intense resentment”. Shaw was a part of the Fabian society, a British socialist movement. He was also partially responsible for the Labour Party, which represented the working class people. Later on in life, Shaw was noted to having regretted supporting the Hitler movement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
^
^
^
^
^
Scroll down for answers
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
ANSWERS
Myanmar 48,137,741 (growth rate: 0.7%)
Morocco 34,859,364 (growth rate: 1.5%)
Mozambique 21,669,278 (growth rate: 1.7%)
Montenegro 672,180 (growth rate: -0.8%)
"Toil is most pleasant when done." ~unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
The visit to the Dentist is never one of my favorite ways the times. Today was no different. One of the hygienists didn’t come in. So my wait was longer than usual. Then the dentist dropped the bomb. I have to get a crown. Actually he suggests three crowns on teeth that had large cavities years ago. At $800 a pop and minimal dental insurance, I opted for one now and the others after the first of the year. Better to do this, I guess, than wait for the tooth to break. I have one other crown, and that came after the tooth had broken. I sure don’t want to go through that again. Not only was it expensive, it requires several visits and some oral surgery. So I’m opting for the preventative road. Tomorrow morning I get my tiny basal cell growth removed from my nose. This will be a simple procedure and take about 2 minutes…of course, it is a medical procedure, so I have to wait 2 hours while they check the thing they remove to be sure they got it all. Assuming they do, I’m free to leave. If not, another 2 minutes and another 2 hour wait. He didn’t say what happens after that. Modern medicine sure can do lots of things. It seems to me that TV can do so many medical procedures within an hour, I should be able to get out of a real doctor’s office much faster. TV shows get a DNA match in about 30 seconds. Patients enter a hospital, have a serious operation, and are on their way home before the show ends.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it’s time for a look at things to be thankful for. There are lots of cute emails going around, and lots of funny things out there. My list of things I am thankful for is too long for this blog. I’m thankful that I have friends I can count on. I’m thankful that I am able to do things that I like to do. I am thankful that every day starts with a sun rise I can enjoy. I am thankful that I am not too old to keep learning. And the list goes on and on. Hope everyone else starts their Thankful List now, and has a list longer than mine.
We had a warmer night than usual—it only dropped to 21° last night. While I was gone, many of the birds either migrated or just gave up on me. I go for the former as there was still some suet available. When I left, they were eating two feeders a day. Now that I am back, it’s down to about one feeder every few days. I don’t blame them for leaving; these cold nights are no fun. I heard a report today that Northern Arizona’s drought is far from over. That is very depressing. Our forest is really suffering, and it is the main draw for so many of us here. Turns out it will take about 5 years of way above average precipitation to get this thing to end. And they say that is not on the horizon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
In a lifetime, an average person walks the equivalent of 5 equators.
~~~Unusual News
BEAVERTON, Ore. - A 96-year-old photographer in Oregon said he decided to plan and hold his own wake prior to his death so he could attend the event. Hugh Ackroyd, 96, said he held the wake for family and friends Sunday at the Beaverton home of friend Edda Sigurdar, The Oregonian reported Monday.
"Well, why not?" Ackroyd said of leading his own wake. "Why bother when (I'm) dead?" Ackroyd, a father of two whose wife died about 12 years ago, sat in his padded wheelchair and greeted his friends as they arrived for the event. He said one of his favorite items at the wake was a wreath bearing a ribbon reading: "Eventually, Hugh, rest in peace." "It's quite magnificent," Ackroyd said of his wake.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Keith Richards (of the Rolling Stones) said in an interview that he worked several summers as a ball boy at a local tennis court.
When he was 11, Cal Ripken Jr. worked in a minor league ballpark in North Carolina sweeping and folding towels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 24 November
Church / State Separation Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
327 days so far this year…38 days remain in 2009
Celebrate Your Unique Talent Day
Use even if the seal is broken Day
^Turkey Teacher’s Day
^Republic of the Congo /Zaire New Regime Anniversary (1965)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1713…Laurence Sterne Ireland, novelist/satirist (Tristram Shandy)
1849…Frances Hodgson Burnett author of children's book (My Secret Garden)
1864…Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec France, painter (At the Moulin Rouge)
1868…Scott Joplin US, entertainer/composer (The Entertainer)
1888…Dale Carnegie author (How to Win Friends & Influence People)
1911…Kirby Grant Butte MT, actor (Sky King)
1917…Howard Duff Bremerton Wash, actor (Flamingo Road, Knots Landing)
1940…Johnny Carver singer: Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
1944…Bob Lind singer, songwriter: Elusive Butterfly
~ATHLETICS
1806…William Webb Ellis, credited with the invention of Rugby
1938…Oscar Robertson Basketball Hall of Famer: ‘The Big O’
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1784…Zachary Taylor (Whig) 12th President
1853…Bat Masterson gambler, gunfighter
1877…Alben Barkley 35th Vice President of the U.S. (Truman)
1925…William F Buckley Jr right-wing curmudgeon
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1713…Father Junipero Serra established many of the missions in California.
1774…Thomas Dick, Scottish scientific teacher and writer
~~~In Remembrance–
1957…Diego Rivera, Mexican painter @ 71
1962…James J Kilroy tank inspector (Kilroy was here), @ 60
1980…George Raft NYC, actor @ 85
2004…Arthur Hailey, British-born author @ 84
2005…Pat Morita, American actor @ 73
~~~Historical Events on this day
1859…Charles Darwin publishes "On the Origin of Species"
1871…National Rifle Association organized (NYC)
1874…Joseph F Glidden patents barbed wire
1947…John Steinbeck's novel "The Pearl" published
1971…Dan "DB" Cooper parachutes from a Northwest AL 727 with $200,000
1974…In northeastern Ethiopia Lucy, a three-million-year-old hominid, is the most complete early man discovery ever made in Africa
~ Holy Mackerel
1933…George Bernard Shaw showed his admiration for Hitler. What Shaw most admired about him was his “expression of intense resentment”. Shaw was a part of the Fabian society, a British socialist movement. He was also partially responsible for the Labour Party, which represented the working class people. Later on in life, Shaw was noted to having regretted supporting the Hitler movement.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
^
^
^
^
^
Scroll down for answers
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
ANSWERS
Myanmar 48,137,741 (growth rate: 0.7%)
Morocco 34,859,364 (growth rate: 1.5%)
Mozambique 21,669,278 (growth rate: 1.7%)
Montenegro 672,180 (growth rate: -0.8%)
Monday
~~~ Provocative Quote
"If you bow at all, bow low."~Chinese Proverb
~~~Free Ramblings
I guess it’s time to get ready for Thanksgiving. It sure seems to be coming fast this year. Oh, that’s right, I was out of the country while everyone else was gearing up.
I am slowly working on my African videos. I really like my HD video camera. It is so easy to use. The hard part, it turns out is twofold. First, I didn’t always turn the camera off soon enough. Several videos show great views of animals, only to end with the camera suddenly aiming down at my feet. I found a program to fix that, but it isn’t that easy to use. The second problem is making a movie of the clips. I have about 100 clips, each one is 30 seconds or less. Some are as short as 10 seconds. I want to take all my similar clips—like all the ones with elephants—and put them together in some way. It sounds so easy. Turns out it probably is, once one gets all the steps down. I will continue to learn. I’m not trying to make a blockbuster, just one that readers and I can enjoy.
I just saw a news story about a white rhino being born in the Tampa Zoo. The female weighed in at about 100 lbs. An amazing site. I’m not a big fan of wild animals being kept in a zoo. Things have certainly improved at zoos over the years, but animals are meant to be in the wild. With the dwindling populations around the world of so many animals, sometimes a zoo is the only way to protect them. Still I have always been a ‘quality of life’ type of guy. Quantity is not worth much if there is no quality. It is sure a tough call, only made harder when you see the baby, with a mother nurturing her.
This is sure a strange football season for my two teams. The Broncos started out great, and now have basically fallen apart. They have been famous for doing this ever since they joined the NFL. Then there are the Cardinals. They played in last year’s Super Bowl. They had a very tough start, both in pre-season and the regular season. Now, suddenly, they are the team to beat in their division.
Flag started out a tad chilly this morning…it was 15° when I got up. We had a breeze and only made it to 54°. It sure felt a lot cooler with the breeze. I was able to clear off the deck however. Pine needles are always a problem out there. Going a month without sweeping it was not the best plan I have ever had. There was a good 2” of needles covering the entire deck. Since there was a snow storm involved while I was gone, the needles were kinda stuck together and not easy to just sweep off through or under the wrought iron fencing. Tomorrow I will need to do something about the needles in the front. Usually the HOA takes care of it, but they hadn’t done anything when I left, and obviously didn’t do anything while I was gone. The front area is a sidewalk that separates two areas covered with small pebbles, rather than grass. It is not easy to get rid of the needles without a leaf blower. I sold the one I had in Tuba before I retired. Again, the task is a little more difficult because the needles have gotten wet and now dried out, sticking together quite well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
A skunk's smell can be detected by a human a mile away.
Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump.
~~~Unusual News
SEATTLE, WA: Around 11:15 p.m., officers responded to a call from a 41-year-old man who said he had been assaulted. It turns out the older man, who was heavily intoxicated, tried to go into a sports bar. The younger man, who isn't a bar employee, barred the man from going inside--for some reason--and an argument between the two men escalated into a fight.
In an attempt to get away, the younger man "thought he'd basically be able to jump over this fence, and he didn't quite make it," a police spokesman said.
As a police account of the incident notes, "Clearly he was overconfident in his abilities."
As police arrived to search for a suspect, one officer heard the 25-year-old's screams and found him stuck on the fence with the metal spike jutting out from his buttock. The man was bleeding profusely.
He was taken to Harborview Medical Center. Questioned at the hospital, the man told police he believed he was a ninja.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Elvis was fired from a job at the Precision Tool Company in Memphis when they discovered he was under-age. After graduating from high school, Elvis was a truck driver.
Keanu Reeves was once employed as a janitor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 22 November
National Family Week
National Bible Week
National Game & Puzzle Week
National Teens Don’t Text and Drive Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
327 days so far this year…38 days remain in 2009
National Cashew Day
Fibonacci Day (the first two Fibonacci numbers are 0 and 1, and each remaining number is the sum of the previous two. .. 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5 ,8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, …)
^Japan : Kinro kansha no hi Labor Day/Thanksgiving
^Maryland : Repudiation Day (1765)
^Slovenia – Rudolf Maister Day military hero, poet and political activist
^Switzerland (Bern) : Onion Market Day-autumn festival
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1883 Jose Clemente Orozco Mexico, painter (Epic of Culture in New World)
1887 Boris Karloff [William H Pratt], Dulwich England, actor
1888 Harpo Marx [Adolph] NYC, actor/comedian
1913 - Maurice Zolotow author: Billy Wilder in Hollywood
1945 Steve Landesberg Bronx NY, comedian/actor (Barney Miller)
1992 – Miley Cyrus, American actress and singer/songwriter
~ATHLETICS
1934 - Lew Hoad tennis
1935 - Ed Johnston hockey: NHL: Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, SL Blues, Chicago Blackhawks; manager, coach: Pittsburgh Penguins
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1804 Franklin Pierce 14th President
1859 Billy the Kid [William H Bonney]
1943 Andrew Goodman civil rights worker, murdered in 1964
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1553 – Prospero Alpini, Italian physician and botanist (d. 1617)
1837 – Johannes Diderik van der Waals, Dutch physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
~~~In Remembrance–
1914 Elbrige Gerry VP under Madison (of Gerrymander fame), @ 70
1991 Freddie Mercury lead singer of Queen, aids @ 46
1966 – Seán T. O'Kelly, President of Ireland @ 84
~~~Historical Events on this day
1835 Henry Burden patents Horseshoe manufacturing machine
1863 Patent granted for a process of making color photographs
1899 1st jukebox (Palais Royal Hotel, San Francisco)
1903 Enrico Caruso US debut (Metropolitan Opera House, NY) 1936 1st issue of Life, picture magazine created by Henry R Luce
1971 China People's Republic seated in UN Security Council
1979: Thomas McMahon, a member (IRA), is sentenced to life imprisonment for preparing and planting the bomb that killed Lord Louis Mountbatten
1988 South Africa: Botha reprieves Sharpeville Six
2001: Convention on Cybercrime is signed by members of the council of Europe, USA, Canada, Japan and the Republic of South Africa in Budapest, Hungary.
2005 : Johnson Sirleaf is elected as the first woman President of an African country (Liberia)
~ Holy Mackerel
1958 - Ronald and Nancy Reagan appeared together in the GE Theatre production of A Turkey for the President.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Mexico 111,211,789 (growth rate: 1.1%)
Micronesia 107,434 (growth rate: –0.2)
Moldova 4,320,748 (growth rate: 0.0%)
Monaco 32,965 (growth rate: 0.3%)
Mongolia 3,041,142 (growth rate: 1.4%)
^
^
^
^
^
Scroll down for answers
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
ANSWERS
Mexico 111,211,789 (growth rate: 1.1%)
Moldova 4,320,748 (growth rate: 0.0%)
Mongolia 3,041,142 (growth rate: 1.4%)
Micronesia 107,434 (growth rate: –0.2)
Monaco 32,965 (growth rate: 0.3%)
"If you bow at all, bow low."~Chinese Proverb
~~~Free Ramblings
I guess it’s time to get ready for Thanksgiving. It sure seems to be coming fast this year. Oh, that’s right, I was out of the country while everyone else was gearing up.
I am slowly working on my African videos. I really like my HD video camera. It is so easy to use. The hard part, it turns out is twofold. First, I didn’t always turn the camera off soon enough. Several videos show great views of animals, only to end with the camera suddenly aiming down at my feet. I found a program to fix that, but it isn’t that easy to use. The second problem is making a movie of the clips. I have about 100 clips, each one is 30 seconds or less. Some are as short as 10 seconds. I want to take all my similar clips—like all the ones with elephants—and put them together in some way. It sounds so easy. Turns out it probably is, once one gets all the steps down. I will continue to learn. I’m not trying to make a blockbuster, just one that readers and I can enjoy.
I just saw a news story about a white rhino being born in the Tampa Zoo. The female weighed in at about 100 lbs. An amazing site. I’m not a big fan of wild animals being kept in a zoo. Things have certainly improved at zoos over the years, but animals are meant to be in the wild. With the dwindling populations around the world of so many animals, sometimes a zoo is the only way to protect them. Still I have always been a ‘quality of life’ type of guy. Quantity is not worth much if there is no quality. It is sure a tough call, only made harder when you see the baby, with a mother nurturing her.
This is sure a strange football season for my two teams. The Broncos started out great, and now have basically fallen apart. They have been famous for doing this ever since they joined the NFL. Then there are the Cardinals. They played in last year’s Super Bowl. They had a very tough start, both in pre-season and the regular season. Now, suddenly, they are the team to beat in their division.
Flag started out a tad chilly this morning…it was 15° when I got up. We had a breeze and only made it to 54°. It sure felt a lot cooler with the breeze. I was able to clear off the deck however. Pine needles are always a problem out there. Going a month without sweeping it was not the best plan I have ever had. There was a good 2” of needles covering the entire deck. Since there was a snow storm involved while I was gone, the needles were kinda stuck together and not easy to just sweep off through or under the wrought iron fencing. Tomorrow I will need to do something about the needles in the front. Usually the HOA takes care of it, but they hadn’t done anything when I left, and obviously didn’t do anything while I was gone. The front area is a sidewalk that separates two areas covered with small pebbles, rather than grass. It is not easy to get rid of the needles without a leaf blower. I sold the one I had in Tuba before I retired. Again, the task is a little more difficult because the needles have gotten wet and now dried out, sticking together quite well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
A skunk's smell can be detected by a human a mile away.
Elephants are the only mammals that can't jump.
~~~Unusual News
SEATTLE, WA: Around 11:15 p.m., officers responded to a call from a 41-year-old man who said he had been assaulted. It turns out the older man, who was heavily intoxicated, tried to go into a sports bar. The younger man, who isn't a bar employee, barred the man from going inside--for some reason--and an argument between the two men escalated into a fight.
In an attempt to get away, the younger man "thought he'd basically be able to jump over this fence, and he didn't quite make it," a police spokesman said.
As a police account of the incident notes, "Clearly he was overconfident in his abilities."
As police arrived to search for a suspect, one officer heard the 25-year-old's screams and found him stuck on the fence with the metal spike jutting out from his buttock. The man was bleeding profusely.
He was taken to Harborview Medical Center. Questioned at the hospital, the man told police he believed he was a ninja.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Elvis was fired from a job at the Precision Tool Company in Memphis when they discovered he was under-age. After graduating from high school, Elvis was a truck driver.
Keanu Reeves was once employed as a janitor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 22 November
National Family Week
National Bible Week
National Game & Puzzle Week
National Teens Don’t Text and Drive Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
327 days so far this year…38 days remain in 2009
National Cashew Day
Fibonacci Day (the first two Fibonacci numbers are 0 and 1, and each remaining number is the sum of the previous two. .. 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5 ,8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, …)
^Japan : Kinro kansha no hi Labor Day/Thanksgiving
^Maryland : Repudiation Day (1765)
^Slovenia – Rudolf Maister Day military hero, poet and political activist
^Switzerland (Bern) : Onion Market Day-autumn festival
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1883 Jose Clemente Orozco Mexico, painter (Epic of Culture in New World)
1887 Boris Karloff [William H Pratt], Dulwich England, actor
1888 Harpo Marx [Adolph] NYC, actor/comedian
1913 - Maurice Zolotow author: Billy Wilder in Hollywood
1945 Steve Landesberg Bronx NY, comedian/actor (Barney Miller)
1992 – Miley Cyrus, American actress and singer/songwriter
~ATHLETICS
1934 - Lew Hoad tennis
1935 - Ed Johnston hockey: NHL: Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, SL Blues, Chicago Blackhawks; manager, coach: Pittsburgh Penguins
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1804 Franklin Pierce 14th President
1859 Billy the Kid [William H Bonney]
1943 Andrew Goodman civil rights worker, murdered in 1964
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1553 – Prospero Alpini, Italian physician and botanist (d. 1617)
1837 – Johannes Diderik van der Waals, Dutch physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1923)
~~~In Remembrance–
1914 Elbrige Gerry VP under Madison (of Gerrymander fame), @ 70
1991 Freddie Mercury lead singer of Queen, aids @ 46
1966 – Seán T. O'Kelly, President of Ireland @ 84
~~~Historical Events on this day
1835 Henry Burden patents Horseshoe manufacturing machine
1863 Patent granted for a process of making color photographs
1899 1st jukebox (Palais Royal Hotel, San Francisco)
1903 Enrico Caruso US debut (Metropolitan Opera House, NY) 1936 1st issue of Life, picture magazine created by Henry R Luce
1971 China People's Republic seated in UN Security Council
1979: Thomas McMahon, a member (IRA), is sentenced to life imprisonment for preparing and planting the bomb that killed Lord Louis Mountbatten
1988 South Africa: Botha reprieves Sharpeville Six
2001: Convention on Cybercrime is signed by members of the council of Europe, USA, Canada, Japan and the Republic of South Africa in Budapest, Hungary.
2005 : Johnson Sirleaf is elected as the first woman President of an African country (Liberia)
~ Holy Mackerel
1958 - Ronald and Nancy Reagan appeared together in the GE Theatre production of A Turkey for the President.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Mexico 111,211,789 (growth rate: 1.1%)
Micronesia 107,434 (growth rate: –0.2)
Moldova 4,320,748 (growth rate: 0.0%)
Monaco 32,965 (growth rate: 0.3%)
Mongolia 3,041,142 (growth rate: 1.4%)
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ANSWERS
Mexico 111,211,789 (growth rate: 1.1%)
Moldova 4,320,748 (growth rate: 0.0%)
Mongolia 3,041,142 (growth rate: 1.4%)
Micronesia 107,434 (growth rate: –0.2)
Monaco 32,965 (growth rate: 0.3%)
Africa 8
~~~ Provocative Quote
"Of all the ills that men endure, hope is the only cheap and universal cure." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
Before I end my African story, I need to again thank so many people. First is Hamdy and HLO Tours. Without his hard work and planning, this trip would not have happened. Ellie needs to be thanked, again, for finding such a diverse group of travelers who travel so well together. Theo was such a hoot on this trip. I can’t wait to get her trip presentation. And then there is Wyoma. She got bumped at DC and found us two days later in South Africa. How she ever got the DC Passport bureaucrats to work on a Saturday, I will never know. I hope no one was injured. She is just such a tiny pistol. Tamzin was always there with a good comment and a smile. Andy and Arlene kept us all on our toes. Arlene has some great stories, and I do hope I will be able to visit her home on my next trip. Tom and Bonnie were with us for much of the trip, and they sure added some great times to our adventure. Bryan and Debbie were great too. Bryan always had a good line to add, and Debbie just smiled. Last, but not least were Roberto and Rita. They were able to find humor and laughter in even the hardest of situations—especially the bug/snake issue.
The other people who made the trip so enjoyable were those who work so hard at their jobs everyday to make our visit enjoyable. I have become facebook friends with Greg and Richard from Honeyguide. Turns out we were the last group Greg worked with there. He is headed for Belgium to be with his gal. Richard too has fallen in love. Ah, to be young again. Brett, our guide at the private reserve, taught us so much. He grew up on a farm, learned to speak Zulu at a very young age, and really enjoys his job. He really wanted us to see the male lion. I don’t know which was most impressive about him—his stopping and assisting in tracking and coming back pumped or helping his fellow guides when they got stuck. In both cases he was so professional. Of course, parking next to a sleeping leopard at dusk, or near several lions that had just finished a meal was pretty cool too. At Chobe, Hamdy and I were on our own, but I got to see wild dogs at a fresh kill. The guides there were good, but simply picked people up, took them on the drive, and then dropped them off at the hotel. It was the only time on the trip that I felt like just another tourist. Still it was worth it to see the wild dogs and of course the huge herd of elephants. And the walk in the town, while hot, was very enlightening.
I was able to meet a cab driver who had come home from elementary school to find his house had been leveled during Apartheid. I met a young Zulu cab driver who taught us about the Zulu courting procedures and what has to be done to marry. It was not that different that traditional Navajo courtship. I learned about class—if not caste—systems. We met a hotel asst. manager who was leaving Zambia to work at Disney’s Epcot Center in Florida. She was so excited to be getting a job that paid $8/hr. She will be part of the culture exchange that Disney does there. I do hope that she has a good experience. It will be so different than Africa. I visited a small school that reinforced that kids are kids and little kids are little kids, no matter where you travel. These kids, despite their difficult lives in poverty, had an enthusiasm, a light in their eyes, and a joy for life and learning. I saw lots of billboards regarding AIDS, contraception, safe sex, and heard stories of how that disease has destroyed so many lives.
I will never have a trip like this again. I saw so much and so many totally different aspects of Africa. I saw nature that was unbelievable. Animals of all sizes and foliage waiting for those desperately needed rains. I saw the necessity of the rivers as I traveled by various sized boats. I saw the footprint that man has placed on this continent where all mankind began. I saw the destructive side of man when one group wants to control another. I saw how many are working to make that footprint as unobtrusive as possible. I saw that many traditional customs can and do continue. I saw how technology has changed poverty. I have a much better understanding of Africa. I have a much better understanding of history and I have had my eyes opened in ways I never expected. All of this, I believe, has made me a better person. Thanks to everyone for this experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
In one year, an acre of trees can absorb as much carbon as is produced by a car driven up to 8700 miles.
***
The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
***
The cottonwood tree seed is the seed that stays in flight the longest. The tiny seed is surrounded by ultra-light, white fluff hairs that can carry it on the air for several days.
~~~Unusual News
DANA POINT, Calif. - Authorities in California said a bank robber called 911 to report a fake bank robbery in a nearby town before walking into his targeted establishment. Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said the suspect, described as an African-American man in his 20s, was first spotted at a supermarket in Laguna Nigel at about 9:20 a.m., the Orange County Register reported. Witnesses said the suspect spoke with someone at the store, which had a closed Bank of America branch inside, about finding an open branch and was told of an open location about 3 miles away in Dana Point. Amormino said the suspect then went to an AT&T store near the open branch and used a display phone to call 911 and report a bank robbery in Laguna Nigel. He then walked into the Dana Point bank, told a teller he was carrying a gun and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Sidney Potier was reportedly fired from a his job parking cars because of his poor driving skills.
Colin Powell worked at a local Orthodox synagogue turning the lights on and off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 22 November
National Family Week
National Bible Week
National Game & Puzzle Week
National Teens Don’t Text and Drive Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
326 days so far this year…39 days remain in 2009
Humane Society Anniversary Day (1954)
Start Your Own Country Day
^Guinea : Portugese Aggression Anniversary
^Lebanon : Independence Day (from France 1943)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1819 George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) novelist (Silas Marner)
1888 Tarzan of the Apes, according to Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel
1899 Hoagy Carmichael actor/songwriter (Stardust)
1921 Rodney Dangerfield comedian
1932 Robert Vaughn actor (Napoleon Solo-Man from UNCLE, I Spy)
1950 - Steve ‘Miami’ Van Zandt singer, songwriter( E-Street Band) & Silvio Dante on Sopranos.
1958 Jamie Lee Curtis actress
~ATHLETICS
1943 Billie Jean King tennis pro
1950 Greg Luzinski baseball player (Phillies, White Sox)
1967 Boris Becker tennis player
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1511 Erasmus Reinhold mathematician (calculated planetary table)
1868 John Nance Garner (D) 32nd VP (1933-41)
1890 Charles de Gaulle President of France
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1898 Wiley Post aviator/parachutist
~~~In Remembrance–
1718 Edward "Blackbeard" Teach English pirate shot & decapitated @ 38
1896 George Washington Gale Ferris inventor (Ferris wheel) typhoid fever @ 37
1963 Aldous Huxley English novelist. ("Brave New World" ) cancer @ 69
1963 C.S. Lewis English novelist. ("The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.") Renal failure @ 65
1963 John F Kennedy 35th U.S. President, shot @ 46
1980 Mae West actress @ 87
~~~Historical Events on this day
1842 Mount St Helens in Washington, erupts
1858 Denver, Colorado is founded.
1859 Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species is first offered for sale.
1924 England orders Egyptians out of Sudan
1928 "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel, 1st performed publicly, in Paris
1986 Mike Tyson becomes the youngest Heavyweight Champion in history
1990 Margaret Thatcher is forced to stand down as prime minister of Great Britain
2002 In Nigeria, more than 100 people are killed at an attack aimed at the contestants of the Miss World contest.
~ Holy Mackerel
1906 International Radio Telecommunications Com adopts "SOS" as new call for help
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Mali (Africa)
Malta (Mediterranean Sea)
Marshall Islands (Pacfic Islands)
Mauritania (Africa)
Mauritius (Indian Ocean)
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ANSWERS
Mali (Africa) 12,666,987 (growth rate: 2.7%)
Mauritania (Africa) 3,129,486 (growth rate: 2.4%)
Mauritius (Indian Ocean) 1,260,781 (growth rate: 0.7%)
Malta (Mediterranean Sea) 405,165 (growth rate: 0.4%)
Marshall Islands (Pacfic Islands) 64,522 (growth rate: 2.0%)
"Of all the ills that men endure, hope is the only cheap and universal cure." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
Before I end my African story, I need to again thank so many people. First is Hamdy and HLO Tours. Without his hard work and planning, this trip would not have happened. Ellie needs to be thanked, again, for finding such a diverse group of travelers who travel so well together. Theo was such a hoot on this trip. I can’t wait to get her trip presentation. And then there is Wyoma. She got bumped at DC and found us two days later in South Africa. How she ever got the DC Passport bureaucrats to work on a Saturday, I will never know. I hope no one was injured. She is just such a tiny pistol. Tamzin was always there with a good comment and a smile. Andy and Arlene kept us all on our toes. Arlene has some great stories, and I do hope I will be able to visit her home on my next trip. Tom and Bonnie were with us for much of the trip, and they sure added some great times to our adventure. Bryan and Debbie were great too. Bryan always had a good line to add, and Debbie just smiled. Last, but not least were Roberto and Rita. They were able to find humor and laughter in even the hardest of situations—especially the bug/snake issue.
The other people who made the trip so enjoyable were those who work so hard at their jobs everyday to make our visit enjoyable. I have become facebook friends with Greg and Richard from Honeyguide. Turns out we were the last group Greg worked with there. He is headed for Belgium to be with his gal. Richard too has fallen in love. Ah, to be young again. Brett, our guide at the private reserve, taught us so much. He grew up on a farm, learned to speak Zulu at a very young age, and really enjoys his job. He really wanted us to see the male lion. I don’t know which was most impressive about him—his stopping and assisting in tracking and coming back pumped or helping his fellow guides when they got stuck. In both cases he was so professional. Of course, parking next to a sleeping leopard at dusk, or near several lions that had just finished a meal was pretty cool too. At Chobe, Hamdy and I were on our own, but I got to see wild dogs at a fresh kill. The guides there were good, but simply picked people up, took them on the drive, and then dropped them off at the hotel. It was the only time on the trip that I felt like just another tourist. Still it was worth it to see the wild dogs and of course the huge herd of elephants. And the walk in the town, while hot, was very enlightening.
I will never have a trip like this again. I saw so much and so many totally different aspects of Africa. I saw nature that was unbelievable. Animals of all sizes and foliage waiting for those desperately needed rains. I saw the necessity of the rivers as I traveled by various sized boats. I saw the footprint that man has placed on this continent where all mankind began. I saw the destructive side of man when one group wants to control another. I saw how many are working to make that footprint as unobtrusive as possible. I saw that many traditional customs can and do continue. I saw how technology has changed poverty. I have a much better understanding of Africa. I have a much better understanding of history and I have had my eyes opened in ways I never expected. All of this, I believe, has made me a better person. Thanks to everyone for this experience.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
In one year, an acre of trees can absorb as much carbon as is produced by a car driven up to 8700 miles.
***
The amount of oxygen produced by an acre of trees per year equals the amount consumed by 18 people annually. One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of oxygen each year.
***
The cottonwood tree seed is the seed that stays in flight the longest. The tiny seed is surrounded by ultra-light, white fluff hairs that can carry it on the air for several days.
~~~Unusual News
DANA POINT, Calif. - Authorities in California said a bank robber called 911 to report a fake bank robbery in a nearby town before walking into his targeted establishment. Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said the suspect, described as an African-American man in his 20s, was first spotted at a supermarket in Laguna Nigel at about 9:20 a.m., the Orange County Register reported. Witnesses said the suspect spoke with someone at the store, which had a closed Bank of America branch inside, about finding an open branch and was told of an open location about 3 miles away in Dana Point. Amormino said the suspect then went to an AT&T store near the open branch and used a display phone to call 911 and report a bank robbery in Laguna Nigel. He then walked into the Dana Point bank, told a teller he was carrying a gun and left with an undisclosed amount of cash.
~~~Before They Were Famous
Sidney Potier was reportedly fired from a his job parking cars because of his poor driving skills.
Colin Powell worked at a local Orthodox synagogue turning the lights on and off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 22 November
National Family Week
National Bible Week
National Game & Puzzle Week
National Teens Don’t Text and Drive Week
~~~20 NOV Observances
326 days so far this year…39 days remain in 2009
Humane Society Anniversary Day (1954)
Start Your Own Country Day
^Guinea : Portugese Aggression Anniversary
^Lebanon : Independence Day (from France 1943)
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1819 George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) novelist (Silas Marner)
1888 Tarzan of the Apes, according to Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel
1899 Hoagy Carmichael actor/songwriter (Stardust)
1921 Rodney Dangerfield comedian
1932 Robert Vaughn actor (Napoleon Solo-Man from UNCLE, I Spy)
1950 - Steve ‘Miami’ Van Zandt singer, songwriter( E-Street Band) & Silvio Dante on Sopranos.
1958 Jamie Lee Curtis actress
~ATHLETICS
1943 Billie Jean King tennis pro
1950 Greg Luzinski baseball player (Phillies, White Sox)
1967 Boris Becker tennis player
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1511 Erasmus Reinhold mathematician (calculated planetary table)
1868 John Nance Garner (D) 32nd VP (1933-41)
1890 Charles de Gaulle President of France
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1898 Wiley Post aviator/parachutist
~~~In Remembrance–
1718 Edward "Blackbeard" Teach English pirate shot & decapitated @ 38
1896 George Washington Gale Ferris inventor (Ferris wheel) typhoid fever @ 37
1963 Aldous Huxley English novelist. ("Brave New World" ) cancer @ 69
1963 C.S. Lewis English novelist. ("The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.") Renal failure @ 65
1963 John F Kennedy 35th U.S. President, shot @ 46
1980 Mae West actress @ 87
~~~Historical Events on this day
1842 Mount St Helens in Washington, erupts
1858 Denver, Colorado is founded.
1859 Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species is first offered for sale.
1924 England orders Egyptians out of Sudan
1928 "Bolero" by Maurice Ravel, 1st performed publicly, in Paris
1986 Mike Tyson becomes the youngest Heavyweight Champion in history
1990 Margaret Thatcher is forced to stand down as prime minister of Great Britain
2002 In Nigeria, more than 100 people are killed at an attack aimed at the contestants of the Miss World contest.
~ Holy Mackerel
1906 International Radio Telecommunications Com adopts "SOS" as new call for help
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Mali (Africa)
Malta (Mediterranean Sea)
Marshall Islands (Pacfic Islands)
Mauritania (Africa)
Mauritius (Indian Ocean)
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Scroll down for answers
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ANSWERS
Mali (Africa) 12,666,987 (growth rate: 2.7%)
Mauritania (Africa) 3,129,486 (growth rate: 2.4%)
Mauritius (Indian Ocean) 1,260,781 (growth rate: 0.7%)
Malta (Mediterranean Sea) 405,165 (growth rate: 0.4%)
Marshall Islands (Pacfic Islands) 64,522 (growth rate: 2.0%)
Africa 7
~~~ Provocative Quote
"The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our change." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
I have read about Victoria Falls. I have seen pictures. I have even seen them on video. I was not prepared for Mosi-oa-tunya—the smoke that thunders. We were on the Zambia side. It was the dry season. From the visitor’s views at the falls, they were not as spectacular as I had hoped. We had been told that this time of year you can see what is really behind the falls, the gorges, the drop, the natural beauty. That alone was worth the time we spent there. It was very hot on the day we were there. There were signs warning us that the trail, the steps, the overviews were ‘slippery when wet.’
I have never liked heights. During my swim team days, I enjoyed the low board but never liked the high dive. Walking the trail at the Grand Canyon with its steep drop offs is not something I would do every day. I will avoid standing on a ladder more than 10 feet. As a principal, I once had to go onto the flat roof of a one story building, along with inspectors, to ensure that a repair job was completed. I was fine, until I had to go near the edge.
The drop at the falls is between 260 to 350 feet. That is like looking out a 17 story to 24 story building. In the area where the water was falling, it was hard to tell how far that actually is. The mist covers so much of the fall. In the area where the falls are dry, the drop is breathtaking. Since the falls are over a mile wide, when running full, there are many places to view them.
Dr. David Livingstone saw the falls for the first time in November 1855, just about the same time we were there. The falls had been known as the ‘smoke that thunders’ by the locals. We got into small boats and took a ride to Livingstone Island, formerly known as ‘the place of rest and shade’. The river was very low, and they had to use very small boats to navigate the river. A few weeks after we left the visits to the island would end due to the rapid rise in the river. We walked across the rocks. We walked to the edge of the gorge. There was no fence, no trail, just natural black basalt rock. I was happy to stand about 3 feet from the edge. We wandered around on the rocks, found several beautiful spots for pictures. We walked to the river where it was cascading over the edge. This was the Victoria Falls I had heard about and seen in so many pictures. Had I gone to the Falls when they were running full, I never would have had this thrill, this experience.
I have to mention Andy at this point. Andy celebrated his 88th birthday while on our trip. Andy is amazing. He flew a bomber in WWII. He got into real estate in California after the war. His son married Elvira Mistress of the Dark—the TV icon. He has led an incredible life. He was the only one in our group who went swimming at the falls. He was swimming, with lifeguards, only a few feet from the falls drop off in a natural pool. The next morning, while I was in a helicopter, Andy was doing the ultra-light. That is like a flying lawn mower. One is harnessed in, with feet dangling, as one flies over the falls with a pilot who is also just harnessed in. Andy really reminded me of my own grandfather. He worked hard and now he is enjoying his life. He would lecture me about how I shouldn’t be drinking Coke, then would buy me wine. He never forgot anything. He would tell great stories to anyone who would listen. He could be very stubborn and while he was a great guy and a lot of fun, he and I never could have worked for him. He was way too stubborn.
Thanks to UNESCO for making Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls* a world heritage site for all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
Red wine will spoil if exposed to light, hence tinted bottles.
The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache.
~~~Unusual News
ENID, Okla. - Police in Oklahoma said an escaped circus elephant suffered a broken tusk and a hurt leg when it sideswiped a vehicle while running along a road. Enid Police Department Sgt. Billy Varney said a couple riding in the vehicle Wednesday night were not injured in the collision with the elephant, which fled from the Family Fun Circus at the Garfield County Fairgrounds, The Enid News and Eagle reported. "The vehicle side-swiped the elephant as it ran along the road. The vehicle was able to drive away," Varney said. He said the elephant's tusk poked a hole in the car's sheet metal. The elephant, which also suffered bumps, bruises and scratches, was loaded into a semi-trailer and returned to the circus Wednesday night.
~~~Before They Were Famous
David Hyde Pierce (from the TV show Frasier) was at one time a security guard at the Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs.
Pitt supported his early acting career by driving limos, moving refrigerators and "dressing as a giant chicken while working for El Pollo Loco".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 20 November
National Farm-City Week--to provide better communication and understanding between Urban and Rural residents
~~~20 NOV Observances
325 days so far this year…40 days remain in 2009
National Adoption Day
World Television Day
World Hello Day
^North Carolina : Ratification Day (1789)
^Bangladesh – Armed Forces Day
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1904 Coleman Hawkins virtually created tenor saxophone for jazz
1937 Marlo Thomas Detroit MI, actress
1945 Goldie Hawn Takoma Park MD, actress
1963 Nicollette Sheridan actress Desperate Housewives
~ATHLETICS
1920 Stan Musial outfielder (St Louis Cardinal, 7 times NL bat champ)
1943 Larry Mahan Oregon, rodeo champ (1967-70)
1944 - Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe Basketball Hall of Famer
1966 - Troy Aikman football: Dallas Cowboy
1969 - Ken (George Kenneth) Griffey Jr. baseball: Seattle Mariners
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1953 Tina Brown journalist publisher (Tatler)
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1694 Voltaire [Francois-Marie Arouet], France, thinker
1785 William Beaumont surgeon (studied digestion)
~~~In Remembrance–
1959 Max Baer US, heavyweight boxing champ (1934), heart attack @ 49
1982 Lee Patrick actress (Henrietta-Topper, Maltese Falcon), @ 75
~~~Historical Events on this day
1620 – Plymouth Colony settlers sign the Mayflower Compact
1787 Andrew Jackson admitted to the bar
1935 1st commercial crossing of Pacific by plane (China Clipper)
1977 1st flight of the Concorde (London to New York) 1975: A congressional report accuses US officials of assassination plots against foreign leaders 1942: The Alcan Highway, which connects British Columbia to Alaska, was officially opened
~ Holy Mackerel
1944 - “Happy trails to you, until we meet again....” The Roy Rogers Show was first heard on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Singing along with Roy (‘The King of the Cowboys’), were the Whippoorwills and The Sons of the Pioneers.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi (Africa)
Malaysia
Maldives (Indian Ocean)
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Scroll down for answers
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^
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^
^
^
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^
ANSWERS
Malaysia 25,715,819 (growth rate: 1.7%)
Madagascar 20,653,556 (growth rate: 3.0%)
Malawi (Africa) 14,268,711 (growth rate: 2.3%)
Macedonia 2,066,718 (growth rate: 0.2%)
Maldives (Indian Ocean) 396,334 (growth rate: -0.1%)
"The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our change." ~Unknown
~~~Free Ramblings
I have read about Victoria Falls. I have seen pictures. I have even seen them on video. I was not prepared for Mosi-oa-tunya—the smoke that thunders. We were on the Zambia side. It was the dry season. From the visitor’s views at the falls, they were not as spectacular as I had hoped. We had been told that this time of year you can see what is really behind the falls, the gorges, the drop, the natural beauty. That alone was worth the time we spent there. It was very hot on the day we were there. There were signs warning us that the trail, the steps, the overviews were ‘slippery when wet.’
I have never liked heights. During my swim team days, I enjoyed the low board but never liked the high dive. Walking the trail at the Grand Canyon with its steep drop offs is not something I would do every day. I will avoid standing on a ladder more than 10 feet. As a principal, I once had to go onto the flat roof of a one story building, along with inspectors, to ensure that a repair job was completed. I was fine, until I had to go near the edge.
The drop at the falls is between 260 to 350 feet. That is like looking out a 17 story to 24 story building. In the area where the water was falling, it was hard to tell how far that actually is. The mist covers so much of the fall. In the area where the falls are dry, the drop is breathtaking. Since the falls are over a mile wide, when running full, there are many places to view them.
Dr. David Livingstone saw the falls for the first time in November 1855, just about the same time we were there. The falls had been known as the ‘smoke that thunders’ by the locals. We got into small boats and took a ride to Livingstone Island, formerly known as ‘the place of rest and shade’. The river was very low, and they had to use very small boats to navigate the river. A few weeks after we left the visits to the island would end due to the rapid rise in the river. We walked across the rocks. We walked to the edge of the gorge. There was no fence, no trail, just natural black basalt rock. I was happy to stand about 3 feet from the edge. We wandered around on the rocks, found several beautiful spots for pictures. We walked to the river where it was cascading over the edge. This was the Victoria Falls I had heard about and seen in so many pictures. Had I gone to the Falls when they were running full, I never would have had this thrill, this experience.
Thanks to UNESCO for making Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls* a world heritage site for all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~Random Facts
Red wine will spoil if exposed to light, hence tinted bottles.
The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache.
~~~Unusual News
ENID, Okla. - Police in Oklahoma said an escaped circus elephant suffered a broken tusk and a hurt leg when it sideswiped a vehicle while running along a road. Enid Police Department Sgt. Billy Varney said a couple riding in the vehicle Wednesday night were not injured in the collision with the elephant, which fled from the Family Fun Circus at the Garfield County Fairgrounds, The Enid News and Eagle reported. "The vehicle side-swiped the elephant as it ran along the road. The vehicle was able to drive away," Varney said. He said the elephant's tusk poked a hole in the car's sheet metal. The elephant, which also suffered bumps, bruises and scratches, was loaded into a semi-trailer and returned to the circus Wednesday night.
~~~Before They Were Famous
David Hyde Pierce (from the TV show Frasier) was at one time a security guard at the Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs.
Pitt supported his early acting career by driving limos, moving refrigerators and "dressing as a giant chicken while working for El Pollo Loco".
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~November Month Long Observances
Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month ~ American Diabetes Month ~ American Indian Heritage Month ~ Lung Cancer Awareness Month ~ Military Family Appreciation Month ~ National Adoption Month ~ National Homeless Youth Awareness Month ~ National Inspirational Role Models Month ~ National Novel Writing Month ~ Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month ~ Transgender Awareness Month ~ Vegan Month
~~~Week of 20 November
National Farm-City Week--to provide better communication and understanding between Urban and Rural residents
~~~20 NOV Observances
325 days so far this year…40 days remain in 2009
National Adoption Day
World Television Day
World Hello Day
^North Carolina : Ratification Day (1789)
^Bangladesh – Armed Forces Day
~~~Births on this day
~ The ARTS
1904 Coleman Hawkins virtually created tenor saxophone for jazz
1937 Marlo Thomas Detroit MI, actress
1945 Goldie Hawn Takoma Park MD, actress
1963 Nicollette Sheridan actress Desperate Housewives
~ATHLETICS
1920 Stan Musial outfielder (St Louis Cardinal, 7 times NL bat champ)
1943 Larry Mahan Oregon, rodeo champ (1967-70)
1944 - Earl ‘The Pearl’ Monroe Basketball Hall of Famer
1966 - Troy Aikman football: Dallas Cowboy
1969 - Ken (George Kenneth) Griffey Jr. baseball: Seattle Mariners
~POLITICS/BUSINESS/EDUCATION
1953 Tina Brown journalist publisher (Tatler)
~SCIENCE/RELIGION
1694 Voltaire [Francois-Marie Arouet], France, thinker
1785 William Beaumont surgeon (studied digestion)
~~~In Remembrance–
1959 Max Baer US, heavyweight boxing champ (1934), heart attack @ 49
1982 Lee Patrick actress (Henrietta-Topper, Maltese Falcon), @ 75
~~~Historical Events on this day
1620 – Plymouth Colony settlers sign the Mayflower Compact
1787 Andrew Jackson admitted to the bar
1935 1st commercial crossing of Pacific by plane (China Clipper)
1977 1st flight of the Concorde (London to New York) 1975: A congressional report accuses US officials of assassination plots against foreign leaders 1942: The Alcan Highway, which connects British Columbia to Alaska, was officially opened
~ Holy Mackerel
1944 - “Happy trails to you, until we meet again....” The Roy Rogers Show was first heard on the Mutual Broadcasting System. Singing along with Roy (‘The King of the Cowboys’), were the Whippoorwills and The Sons of the Pioneers.
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Countries
Place these countries in order by estimated 2009 population—highest to lowest.
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi (Africa)
Malaysia
Maldives (Indian Ocean)
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ANSWERS
Malaysia 25,715,819 (growth rate: 1.7%)
Madagascar 20,653,556 (growth rate: 3.0%)
Malawi (Africa) 14,268,711 (growth rate: 2.3%)
Macedonia 2,066,718 (growth rate: 0.2%)
Maldives (Indian Ocean) 396,334 (growth rate: -0.1%)
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About Me
- Retired, Not Dead
- Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
- I retired in '06--at the ripe old age of 57. I enjoy blogging, photography, traveling, and living life to it's fullest.